Run Your Bills with Ease: Complete Guide to Bills Management

In 2019 there’s more to think about than ever before when it comes to student bills. With so many companies on the market offering all kinds of different deals especially for student households, it can be hard to source the best options out there, and once you have, switch and manage them properly.

In this blog post, we have done the legwork for you. Read on to find out more about the leading student bill deals and how to pay bills with a proper management process.

Find All-inclusive Housing

Don’t want to deal with bills as a student? You don’t have to. Many private residences offer all-inclusive houses just like university halls. This option allows you to continue living free from the stress of sorting out your monthly bills. At first glance, it can seem like a no-brainer to go all-inclusive. But think about it, if your holiday or hotel is all-in, you often pay a lot more for it. So beware — these properties might be the easy option, but they often come at a premium pricing because of this.

If you decide you want to save yourself some precious pennies by managing your own bills in your student house, then there are a few things to consider.

Choose a Fixed Tariff

Whatever provider you choose for your utilities in 2019, make sure that you’re on a fixed tariff. As a student on a tight budget, you can’t afford your energy prices to go up unexpectedly in the middle of your agreement.

A fixed tariff is the one that doesn’t change in price for the duration of the agreement term — the cost of energy per kilowatt is locked-in for a designated time. By opting for a fixed-price tariff, you’ll completely remove the risk of your bill price changing, which will save you more precious dollars than you might think!

Choose Dual Utility Tariff

In 2019 there are more energy providers offering similar products than ever before. That means more and more companies who are fighting for your attention. To keep existing and gain new customers, companies now offer special discounts for those who have their gas and electric with them.

You can purchase your gas and electric from the same company through something called a dual-tariff. So, if your student house has a gas and electric supply, it’s definitely worth taking both supplies out with the same provider through a dual tariff, as this is often highly discounted compared to getting the gas, water and electricity bills separately.

Switch Your Energy Provider

When you move into a student house, there’s a lot of stuff to sort out — your room, your postal address, and your council tax to name a few. But one thing you should add to that list is switching energy provider. It’s too easy to stick with the company the previous tenants used, but a simple 10-minute phone call can save you a serious amount of money.

With saviours like uSwitch, switching bill providers for phone, energy, internet and much more has never been easier. Now, it’s not even necessary to pick up the phone; the entire process can be done online. You can legally switch supplier with no exit fee up to 42-49 days before your agreement is up, so there really is no excuse.

Basically, it’s up to you whether you want to go the old-fashioned way and call your provider or use more advanced mobile technologies to make this process faster.

Share Responsibilities

With many bill companies only willing to speak to the account holder, it can be easy for one person to get lumbered with sorting everything out. Sure, that’s all fine when it’s going according to the plan, but as soon as something goes wrong, it can cause quite a headache.

Not only is it unfair to leave one person to deal with all the issues that might happen, but it’s also something that can cause serious house conflicts.

We recommend you and your roommates taking responsibility for one bill each. If everyone in the house is the account holder for at least one utility, it becomes his/her job to deal with all the management involved.

The benefit of this is that no one gets left sorting everything out themselves, and equally no one gets an easy ride. What’s more, the experience is quite educating, and will surely help you out further down the line.

Ask Someone Experienced on How to Set Up Bills When Renting

Everyone’s been in your shoes at some point. As the saying goes, you learn from your mistakes. If you get stuck, just ask someone who’s a bit more experienced. Whether it’s one of your housemates family members or the student support service at your university or college, there’s always someone there to help.

The bill companies themselves shouldn’t be ruled out here. All utility bills companies have a dedicated customer service team whose job is to help you out. No question is too silly for them — they’ve been trained to help, so they’re a good fit for your questions.

There’s no extra fee for contacting them; it’s all part of the service. So if you’re confused, have questions or just want the billing process to be clarified, don’t be afraid to send them a message or give them a call.

Use Bill Management Apps

In 2019, the management app popularity is continuously growing. As such, there are now purpose-built bill management apps like Acasa offering competitive student utilities prices for students, young couples and professionals who are in shared housing and want to split the student bills.

With a smartphone app, your housemates can move in, manage the bills and move out with ease. Through the app you can track usage and billing to see precisely where your money is going at all times. What’s more, you can split the student utility bills in a fair and transparent way all at the quick and easy touch of a button through your mobile device.

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