There’s no doubt that if you are a student who’s never had to pay utility bills before, it’s a good idea to start understanding how to split bills.
This article is aimed at those who are sharing a student property with housemates that need to sort bills and ensure they are paid on time.
This means, you will need to understand what utility bills are.
It goes without saying that utilities are a fundamental part of our everyday life and include things like the electricity, gas and water provision. TV licences also need to considered if you’re looking to watch live Television.
There’s no doubt that organising utilities can be a complicated and a time-consuming process and many students may find it pretty stressful.
There are a number of reasons for this: firstly, you have never done it before; secondly, the process can be confusing; thirdly, you will need to research utility providers to find the best options for you.
As a student sharing a property, you will also need to decide whose name will be placed on which bills, though many student homes now place all names on the bill.
This is because everyone named on the bill is equally responsible for paying it and it’s more difficult for someone to avoid paying their fair share.
An easy way for students to organise utility bills
However, there is an easy way for students to organise utility bills and that is to use the expertise of the friendly team at Glide.
That’s because we have the experience of helping students sharing a property to find the best utility offers and then arrange for the service to be provided, making your life at uni easier.
The best thing about using Glide is that each housemate will receive an individual bill every month to pay for the utilities which makes it easier to budget. And, let’s face it, student finances need to be carefully considered.
It’s also important to appreciate that the student housemates are not responsible should another housemate not pay their share of the bills.
While this may not be important now, should the property attract a poor credit rating this could affect you in future years if you need a bank loan or overdraft, for instance, something most students don’t realise this is something to consider.
Finding quality student broadband deals
Along with organising the utilities, another important service for those sharing a property will be finding quality student broadband deals and again this can be a confusing process. Fortunately, Glide offer broadband deals as part of their package.
Of those student housemates who would prefer to organise their own broadband, then you’ll need to decide on the type of deal you need, do not choose a 12 month deal because it appears to be cheaper as you will only be in the property for nine months and you will need to understand data allowances and broadband speeds.
There’s no doubt that broadband providers have responded well to the demand from students for their offerings and many of them do now offer nine month contracts, a range of payment offerings and a range of speeds and allowances. It should be appreciated that students sharing a property should really opt for an uncapped allowance to ensure that everyone can access the Internet when necessary.
Understand how to split bills effectively
Of course, students sharing a property do not need to use the Glide offering but they will need to understand how to split bills effectively so the utilities are not turned off; non-payment of bills will not only lead to a bad credit rating but also see the supplier turn off the supply.
Imagine having the gas turned off in the depths of winter so you can no longer use the central heating to keep the property warm.
Imagine having the electricity turned off because of unpaid bills which means you’re not be able to use the lights or TV or even access the Internet using your computer.
With many students having to stick to a strict budget, it makes sense to appreciate how much your bills will be while living in a shared property and having the bills dealt with.
Again, this means the offering from Glide will see the bills for the duration of your stay in a property being calculated and if the bill created from those calculations means there will be an overpayment then this will be refunded.
For example should you spend less on heating your home in winter, then the difference being paid for the gas and what was estimated will be returned to you.
For students who have never had to share household bills
Remember, for those students who have never had to share household bills or arrange utilities for their home previously, this will mean searching for and then comparing packages for gas, electricity, water and their broadband to ensure they get the best deal.
They will then need to contact each provider separately for the utility to be connected.
In addition, they will then need to spend time every month, or at least every quarter, splitting the bills equally and then chasing a housemate for their share of the money. This can be awkward.
With so many bills to deal with, it can be confusing with so much cash leaving a student’s bank account which means budgeting becomes more difficult.
It may not appear so when you first move into a student property, but it really is important that students understand how to split bills and then pay them on time to ensure their stay in their home is enjoyable without the stress and worry of having to pay for the utilities; the best solution for many students is to use the experience of Glide to ensure this does not happen.