In the UK there are additional costs that come with renting a property, called utilities. The quickest and easiest way to pay these bills is by setting up a Direct Debit with your bank or building society. The money is taken automatically each month from your bank account and bills are sent to your postal or email address.
If you rent with colleagues or friends you can share these costs. Sometimes they might be included in the monthly rent you pay. This is something that you need to check with the rental agent.
The main utility bills you will pay are:
- Council Tax is a system of local taxation which part-funds the services provided by local government in each county. It includes charges for the police, fire and rescue, recycling, refuse collection and removal, schools, leisure centres, parks and open spaces, street cleaning, subsidising of public transport, sports facilities and many others.The amount of Council Tax you will need to pay depends on the size of the property, its value and the location.
- Gas, Water and Electric – charges for these are dependent on usage. There are many gas and electricity providers in the UK including E-ON, British Gas, EDF Energy, Bulb and Octopus, others are also available. The following comparison websites can be used to help you find the best rates, Compare the Market, Uswitch, Confused.com, Go Compare.
- Television licence – In the UK you need a TV Licence by law to watch or record programmes being shown on TV, on any channel and to watch or stream programmes live on an online TV service(such as ITV Hub, All 4, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, Sky Go, etc.). This also applies to programmes you download or watch on the BBC or BBC iPlayer. This applies regardless of the device you use, including a TV, desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, games console, digital box or DVD recorder. You only need one TV Licence per household, even if you use more than one of the devices listed above. A licence costs £159 per year.
- Water and waste water - most properties have water meters fitted and you are billed based on your use. Waste water costs are calculated based upon the amount of water that enters the property. Charges in the UK on average are £400 per year.
- House contents insurance - The typical contents insurance cost in the UK is around £125 a year, but prices vary by the amount of cover and types of items you wish to insure.