A Simple Guide to Organising The Six Essential Utilities and Bills

You’ve found the rental property which suits you best for location and style, all the background checks are completed and contracts signed, what next you ask? Great question, well if your property bills are included then you will only need to address the first point, however, if bills are excluded then the next six steps have been put together as a helpful guide to get you set up and settled in.

1) Organising Your Monthly Rent Payments

Setting up your monthly rent payments is one of the first things you will need to do and it’s as simple as putting a standing order in place, using the bank details Emu Properties has provided you with. We always recommend using the standing order (set and forget) method for recurring payments rather than having to remember to make a one-off manual payment each month, this also eliminates the chance of late rent payments.

Your monthly rent payment is due on the same date each month, this date is outlined on your tenancy agreement and is usually the exact date you moved into the property and when you paid your very first-month rent. For example;

Edith and Nelson moved into their new home in Norwich and have paid their first-month rent on the 1st of May. This means that their next rent payment is due on the 1st of June and then recurring on the 1st of each month for the entire duration of their tenancy.

The process of setting up your standing order will vary between banks so we have taken the time to link the ‘’How To’’ section of the BIG FOUR banks. Ensure you contact your bank for further details.

HSBC

Barclays

Lloyds Banking

The Royal Bank of Scotland

2) Setting Up Your Water Bills

If you’re renting a property through us, chances are you will need to set up a new account with Anglian Water who provide the region with water and sewerage services.

You can either contact Anglian Water via the phone on 0345 791 9155 or follow the steps on their website by CLICKING HERE. You will need to provide Anglian Water with up to date water meter readings from the onset and periodically throughout your tenancy, one of our friendly team at Emu Properties will show you where the meter is located during the move in handover.

On the off chance, you don’t fall into the Anglian Water serviced area or for extra peace of mind you wish to double-check your local provider CLICK HERE to check out the Water UK website to determine your local supplier.

3) Choosing a Broadband Provider With The Right Bundle For You

When it comes to selecting a service provider we believe it’s essential to shop around for the best deal in such a competitive market. The four main points to keep in mind when choosing are;

• Does your prefered provider supply the area? Using a broadband comparative website such as Uswitch or Compare the Market is a great first step in the right direction, or simply go directly to the provider’s website such as Virgin Media’s postcode checker.
• What is the duration of the contract? It is wise to aline the length of your broadband contract with the minimum length of time you wish to live at your property. This will ensure you’re not left paying for a service you are no longer receiving.
• What are the expected average download/upload speeds to the property?
• Unlimited download packages are the new normal, however, its wise to check your package includes unlimited downloads in order to eliminate any nasty unforeseen charges.

We all know how important being connecting is whether it’s for work, study or leisure. We highly recommend organising your broadband package as early as possible since waiting for the delivery of your new broadband hub and a visit from the engineer (where applicable) can occasionally be a time-consuming process.

4) Do You Need a TV Licence

Whether or not you require a TV licence is commonly misunderstood, it’s not as straightforward as having a TV or not. The TV Licensing website provides you with a wealth of information which can help you out with purchasing a licence and determining if one is required by CLICKING HERE.

The law requires that you must purchase a TV Licence if you do any of the following;

(Please note: the following is an extract from tvlicensing.co.uk)

• Watch or record programmes as they’re being shown on TV, on any channel
• 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.)
• Download or watch any BBC programmes on iPlayer.
• This applies to any device you use, including a TV, desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, games console, digital box or DVD/VHS recorder.

You can either purchase a TV licence outright for the entire year which will cost you £157.50 or alternatively set up a direct debit to make smaller monthly payments.

Finally, it’s worth noting that you can be fined up to £1,000 if you watch or record live TV without a TV Licence.

 

5) Paying Your Council Tax

To set up paying council tax you will need to get in touch with the local council in order to notify them of the date you moved into the property and that as a new tenant you are now liable to pay tax. We recommend that you set up a direct debit with the council in order to stay on top of your repayments.

To check which council looks after your area, the UK government offers a convenient easy to use online postcode checker which can be accessed by CLICKING HERE.

There are a number of reasons why you may receive a discount or be exempt from paying council tax, however, these should be confirmed with your local council.

If all residents within the property are students then CLICK HERE to apply for a council tax discount or exemption.

The Three main councils who oversee the areas in which we commonly let properties are;

Norwich City Council

South Norfolk Council

Broadland District Council

6) Selecting The Energy Provider With The Best Tariff For You (Gas & Electricity)

First of all, before you can set up an account with a new energy provider you will need to have your gas and electricity meter readings available. Not to worry as one of our friendly team members at Emu Properties will show you where the meters are located during your move-in handover.

There are a number of options available when it comes to energy providers, whether you set up your direct debit to pay monthly, quarterly or you choose to be in a fixed or variable rate tariff. This is why we recommend you shop around for the best deal that suits your needs. Using a comparative energy provider website such as Compare the Market or Uswitch is a great way to get a feel for what’s available.

Additionally, there are practical well-designed companies out there that provide services to make your life a lot easier and less complicated. For example, Utility Warehouse will bundle your gas, electricity and broadband into one simple monthly bill. Another company which is great for students and groups sharing a property together is Split the Bills. This company offers gas, electricity, broadband, TV licence and water all in one equally split monthly bill which is distributed evenly to all of the tenants.

 

If you have any further queries or concerns in regards to setting up your bills, please feel free to drop us an email or give us a call by visiting our contact page. We will be happy to help you out as best as possible.

Please note: we have not been paid to advertise or promote any of the above-mentioned companies.