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<\/p>\nStudent Bills: The Ultimate Guide! Sharing accommodation with others can require a lot of negotiating. Whose turn is it to clean the bathroom this week? Yuk! Facing up to the challenge of managing and negotiating bills can be even harder, and that\u2019s where we come in.<\/p>\n
This guide is full of current information about what costs a student in the UK can expect to pay.<\/p>\n
The guide also covers tips on how to manage your bills, especially if you\u2019re living with others.<\/p>\n
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If you\u2019re planning to study away from home, you\u2019re going to need some idea of a budget. Any savings you can bring will help. There\u2019s often start up costs associated with moving into a new house (you might be thinking about your sweet new console, but don\u2019t forget the random stuff like towels, potato peeler, desk etc. Aside from the home basics – you\u2019ll need to organise, there also can be additional fees at the start of a new lease. So many student bills! Ph, and not to mention text books and everything you\u2019ll need to actually, you know, study. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n
We will start with an overall picture of these personal costs then will work down to specifics. On average, you will need to budget about \u00a312 000 per year to cover all of your expenses. Yes, that’s a lot of student bills! (\u00a315 000 if you\u2019re based in London, thanks London housing prices\u2026). This figure does not include the cost of tuition. Yikes!<\/p>\n
\u00a312,000 a year just to live?! That seems like a lot! How are these broken down?<\/p>\n
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This guide breaks down each student bill cost you will need to think about so you can plan accordingly. Remember, all of these are averages and there may be areas where you can save or areas where it will cost you more.<\/p>\n
The second section of this article we will share more on household bills. Or you can just jump straight to the Special Student Bills Packages section.<\/p>\n
Below we will have a look at what are general student bills.<\/p>\n
Weekly cost across the UK: \u00a3134<\/p>\n
Weekly cost in London: \u00a3226<\/p>\n
Student Bills Saving Tips:<\/p>\n
This will probably be your biggest student bill expense. Roofs tend to be a bit important… Rent prices will be influenced by the location of the property and its condition. Most student properties have more than one person listed on the lease. Quite often the rooms are rented individually. This means you will be responsible for paying your own room rental cost. Student halls will incur different costs. There may be additional charges to cover utilities or meals.<\/p>\n
Weekly cost across the UK and London: \u00a337.50 (\u00a3150\/month)<\/p>\n Student Bills Saving Tips:<\/p>\n Housing costs are higher in London, but supermarket prices are generally the same. You can be flexible with your food budget, depending on the quality of food you buy, and where you shop. (You don’t need to really need to shop at Waitrose if you’re a student, unless you’re as posh as say, Jack Whitehall) Whoo hoo! A place you can save on the bills.<\/p>\n Annual cost across the UK: between \u00a3118\/year and \u00a3347\/year, depending on which city you live in.<\/p>\n Annual cost in London: Can be as much as \u00a31000 if you need an Oyster Card during term time (ouch!)<\/p>\n Student Bills Saving Tips:<\/p>\n In London, check out a 18+ student oyster card<\/a> that covers travel zones 1-3 for \u00a328 per week. The bus and of course walking or cycling are cheaper. Whether that is possible or not depends how close you live to campus.<\/p>\n For anywhere in the UK in general, you can pick up a full time study age 16-25 Railcard<\/a> for an annual fee of \u00a330. It\u2019ll save you around a third of the cost of each journey you take. You could also buy a second hand bike, which would save more long term.<\/p>\n Cost: variable<\/p>\n Student Bills Saving Tips:<\/p>\n The price of textbooks is difficult to pin down, as they will vary from course to course. The best thing to do is check out second-hand websites and Buy Sell Swap pages on social media. You can usually find (often barely used) textbooks for a huge discount. And always confirm if you need the latest edition too – the older ones are often cheaper again<\/p>\n Contract: \u00a325-\u00a350 per month<\/p>\n PAYG: \u00a35-\u00a330 per month<\/p>\n Student Bills Saving Tips:<\/p>\n This may not be a new cost to you if you\u2019ve already got a phone and you\u2019re bringing it with you. If you\u2019re in the market for a new one, you have two options. You can lock in to a 18-24 month contract. This will get you a brand new phone, decent downloads and minutes for between \u00a325-\u00a350 per month. If you\u2019re looking to keep costs down or you already have a handset you like, check out Pay As You Go (PAYG). All you need to do is pick up a credit voucher once a month for between \u00a35-\u00a330 depending on your usage.<\/p>\n From \u00a310.99\/month<\/p>\n Student Bill Saving Tips:<\/p>\n You might not think this is important. When the pipes burst in your apartment or a power problem damages your laptop, you\u2019ll change your mind! From \u00a310.99 a month you can insure your electronics and other belongings against theft, fire, vandalism and more. Check out Money Supermarket<\/a> or another comparison site to see which works best for you.<\/p>\n Cost: entirely up to you!<\/p>\n Student Bills Saving Tips:<\/p>\n Also known as discretionary spending, this is the money you spend on the fun stuff. It could be new fashion, a bevvy or two at the pub or your growing collection of lava lamps. This discretionary spend is where you\u2019ll have the most flexibility when it comes to saving money.<\/p>\n Living as a student is often about simplifying and reducing costs. There\u2019s not always a lot of fat in the budget to cover the larger expenses. Once you graduate and start working full time, there will be additional costs to think about. For starters, you\u2019ll probably want to move out of shared student digs pretty sharply. After all it’s now time to find a place of your own (a place without mystery socks and unclaimed dirty dishes).<\/p>\n Renting may still be your best bet straight out of university. The cost of renting will likely go up because you\u2019ll be either living on your own or with one or two others. That means every cost will split fewer ways and you\u2019ll have council tax to pay. Let\u2019s be honest, you\u2019ll probably want to rent something a bit nicer than a student flat. If you are considering buying a place, brace yourself. You need to provide a deposit when you take out a mortgage. At the moment, the average house deposit in UK is \u00a333 000. If you want to live in London, you\u2019ve got to find around \u00a391 400. The average purchase price of property around the UK varies a lot. Here\u2019s some average house prices to give you an idea of what it will cost to own your own home.<\/p>\n \u2022 Cardiff \u00a3192 900<\/p>\n \u2022 Edinburgh \u00a3200 600<\/p>\n \u2022 Glasgow \u00a3115 100<\/p>\n \u2022 Liverpool \u00a3116 00<\/p>\n \u2022 Manchester \u00a3150 600<\/p>\n \u2022 Southampton \u00a3223 100<\/p>\n \u2022 Oxford \u00a3430 200<\/p>\n \u2022 Birmingham \u00a3147 400<\/p>\n \u2022 Leeds \u00a3154 600<\/p>\n \u2022 Sheffield \u00a3128 400<\/p>\n \u2022 Newcastle \u00a3123 900<\/p>\n \u2022 Leicester \u00a3160 500<\/p>\n \u2022 Bristol \u00a3263 100<\/p>\n \u2022 Cambridge \u00a3418 000<\/p>\n \u2022 London \u00a3500 000<\/p>\n Cost: variable, dependent on location<\/p>\n Say goodbye to discounted fares and hello to more expensive public transport. Buying a car might be an option now, but there\u2019s a lot of ongoing costs that come with that. Think: purchase price, insurance, registration, fuel, services, parking charges. It\u2019ll really depend on what sort of work you end up in and how good public transport facilities are.<\/p>\n Example: Zara 3 piece suit (trousers\/shirt\/jacket) approximately \u00a3150<\/p>\n You can get away with comfy jeans and hoodies in class, but it\u2019s unlikely you\u2019ll be able to pull that off in an office tower. Investing in some classic office gear will set you back, not to mention the dry cleaning costs.<\/p>\n Example: average UK health insurance policy costs \u00a31120 per year<\/p>\n Contents insurance is important like in your student days, but there\u2019s more to consider now. When you’re working you need other insurance cover that don’t apply to student life. There’s life insurance, income protection, health insurance and mortgage insurance to start with. If you have a car, that will need insuring too. The list feels long, but the stakes are higher so it makes sense to protect yourself. It\u2019s impossible to say what your insurance costs could look like as a fully blown working adult adult. That’s because the insurance companies set the premiums based on your individual situation.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no getting around it – the bills must be paid. We\u2019ll talk about how to manage sharing the bills in the next section. There\u2019s a lot involved with keeping a house running, which can come as a shock if you\u2019ve moved out of home for the first time. Let\u2019s take a look at what sort of bills you\u2019ll be responsible for as a student (and which ones you don\u2019t have to pay – yay!)<\/p>\n We think it\u2019s a good idea to keep the lights on and the house warm. That’s where making sure your utility bills are paid on time is very important, you know – to have hot water in the shower and a refrigerator that keeps your food cold.<\/p>\n Here is where acasa services<\/a> can make a very big difference. acasa services will allow you to set up your gas and electric bills in less than 2 minutes and also will auto split your bill with your fellow students. This will help protect you from having a housemate who does not pay his or her share as everyone is billed directly.<\/p>\n If you want to do further research that you are getting the best deal, comparison websites are very helpful! EnergyHelpline<\/a> or USwitch<\/a> are great for comparing household services. There are often discounts if you package electricity and gas with the same provider. Organise electronic billing or pay with direct debit for further discounts. Fixing the tariff may also work in your favour, as prices typically increase each year. Read your meter and confirm the figures with your provider to ensure you’re paying the right amount. Here are three of the best value electricity providers to get you started.<\/p>\n 1. EDF Energy<\/a> offers good value and good customer service. There are no cancellation fees – which is perfect for people with 9 month academic year leases.<\/p>\n 2. nPower<\/a> are known for cheaper tariffs but lower quality customer service. They have cancellation fees, so beware.<\/p>\n 3. SSE<\/a> provide competitive tariffs and gift vouchers. The cancellation fee can be quite steep so make sure you\u2019ve planned ahead.<\/p>\n 4. Of course acasa services that provides your gas\/electricity via Octopus Energy<\/a> is our recommended option. acasa services does not charge cancellation fees and will keep you and your housemates informed about what you are paying via the acasa app.<\/p>\n There are student broadband packages that are available as a 9 month contract. It may seem better and work with your uni term time, but these deals can be more expensive. If you take on a 12 month contract there may be cancellation fees if you close the account early. The best option may be a 12 month deal even if the house is empty for periods and it goes unused. The router is sometimes included for free, although even if you do have to pay it\u2019s likely to be less than \u00a310. If there\u2019s no landline at the property, installation of a new line can cost extra. Some providers include connection as part of the monthly fee, others require payment upfront.<\/p>\n Here are the top 5 value for money broadband bundles available (as of March 2017)<\/p>\n \u2022 up to 17mbps<\/p>\n \u2022 12 month contract<\/p>\n \u2022 \u00a318.49 monthly rental landline included<\/p>\n 2. Plusnet Unlimited broadband + calls <\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 up to 17 mbps<\/p>\n \u2022 12 month contract<\/p>\n \u2022 \u00a320.49 monthly rental landline included<\/p>\n 3. Virgin Media Superfast Broadband<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 up to 50 mbps<\/p>\n \u2022 12 month contract<\/p>\n \u2022 \u00a332 monthly rental landline included<\/p>\n 4. EE Broadband & weekend calls<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 up to 17 mbps<\/p>\n \u2022 18 month contract<\/p>\n \u2022 \u00a319.50 monthly rental landline included<\/p>\n 5. BT unlimited broadband + weekend calls<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 up to 17 mbps<\/p>\n \u2022 12 month contract<\/p>\n \u2022 \u00a324.99 monthly rental landline included<\/p>\n Cost: standard tariff for England and Wales: \u00a3389<\/p>\n Student Bills Saving Tips:<\/p>\n Some landlords incorporate water charges into the rent, so you may not have to worry about a water bill. If you do have to manage the water bill yourself, it\u2019s simple. There is only one water provider per area, so there is no need to shop around for a good deal. For example, in the Greater London area the provider is Thames Water<\/a>. There are two ways to manage water bills. You can install a water meter. This is commonly free to install and will be read twice a year, which means one bill only every 6 months. The meter gives you the chance to monitor your usage and may encourage you to use less water overall. Otherwise the property may be on a standard tariff of \u00a3389\/year, billed monthly or annually.<\/p>\n Cost: \u00a30<\/p>\n Student Bills Saving Tips:<\/p>\n Council tax is billed monthly to every property. The charge is to covers services like garbage collection and sewerage maintenance. The good news is full time students are exempt from paying council tax. You must contact your local council to register yourself as a \u2018disregarded person\u2019. Every council has a different process to do this. Depending on how tech savvy your council is, it may be as simple as an online form. Most councils are online so it’s unlikely you’ll have to run documents to the council office. Be aware that non-students are required to pay council tax, even if they are the only one at the property.<\/p>\n Cost: \u00a3145.50<\/p>\n Student Bills Saving Tips:<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.helloacasa.com\/acasa-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2017\/05\/InPostTestimonialBanner-Kirsty.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nFood and groceries<\/h2>\n
Public transport<\/h2>\n
Textbooks<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nMobile phone<\/h2>\n
Insurance<\/h2>\n
Leisure<\/h2>\n
What are the other bills you will need to pay for as an adult?<\/h3>\n
Housing<\/h2>\n
Transport<\/h2>\n
Attire<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nInsurance<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nSpecial Student Bills Packages<\/h1>\n
Student Utilities Packages<\/h2>\n
What are utility bills for?<\/h3>\n
Student Wifi\/Broadband Packages<\/h2>\n
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Student Water<\/h2>\n
Student Council Tax<\/h2>\n
TV Licence<\/h2>\n
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