Energy Guides

Student energy guide

By Dan Drage

Trekking off to university can, for many students, be the first experience of moving away from the family home and living self-sufficiently. Up to this point, its likely Mum and Dad will have been responsible not only for cooking and cleaning, but for paying household bills also. All of a sudden, it’s down to you to manage all these things, which can be a steep learning curve.

That’s why we have pieced together a ten point plan to help students get the best energy deals available to them, and not waste valuable money that could potentially be spent on other, more essential items. We’re talking about text books, of course.

• What’s included?
• Can I save?
• Meter readings
• Direct debit
• Dual fuel
• Shared households
• Anticipation
• Prepayment meters
• Getting out of trouble
• Thermostat

1. What’s included?

Before moving into your new accommodation, be sure to ascertain exactly what your rent covers. Are water rates, council tax and utilities included or to be paid on top? Don’t forget, as a student, you’re exempt from paying council tax. If gas and electricity are not included as part of your rent, you need to find out who the suppliers are and register yourself immediately.

2. Can I save?

Once you’ve established who your suppliers are and registered yourself, it’s time to run a price comparison to see if you can save by switching. Confirm with your landlord that they won’t object to you potentially switching suppliers.

Compare gas and electricity prices for your home and see how much you could save.

3. Meter readings

Take a meter reading on the day you move in, and give this reading to the supplier when you call to register as a new tenant. The last thing you need is to be paying the previous occupants’ bills. Keep a record of this initial meter reading to compare against the first bill when it arrives.

4. Direct debit

Opting to pay by direct debit will benefit you in two ways: you will save money and avoid late payment charges. Choose this payment method if you can, the benefits are considerable and it will stand you in good stead for later life.

5. Dual fuel

In order to make further savings, choose a dual fuel tariff. A dual fuel tariff essential requires you to take both your gas and electricity supply from the same company. Those on a dual fuel tariff, who manage their account online and pay by direct debit, will make the most savings.

Online account management >>>

6. Shared households

If you’re sharing the house with a few friends or housemates, make sure the account is registered in everyone’s names. Therefore, if payments are missed then everyone is culpable, not just the person whose name is on the bill

7. Anticipation

There’s no getting away from it, those energy bills will always arrive each quarter whether you like it or not! The energy suppliers never forget to send them out. In preparation for this, why not try to put £30-40 aside each term to help you out come billing time?

8. Prepayment meters

Households fitted with prepayment meters pay the most for their energy, and this is a fact. If you move into a property with a prepayment meter, approach your landlord with a view to having the meter replaced by a standard meter. By receiving quarterly bills instead of paying the astronomical pre-pay tariff you will save yourself a significant amount of money.

9. Getting out of trouble

Should you fall behind with your energy payments, don’t bury your head in the sand. By ignoring reminders and final demands you’ll only be setting yourself up for extra costs. Before it gets to the stage of the energy supplier threatening you with court action, call the supplier and explain your circumstances.

The energy supplier should be able to set you up with a social tariff (more commonly known as a payment plan) to help you pay off the debt in instalments.

10. Thermostat

If the heating system in your home is run by an immersion heater, then the way in which you set the thermostat can affect your bills dramatically. Program the thermostat to turn the heating on only at times when everyone is in the house. It may be sensible to run the heating for an hour in the morning while everyone is waking up, then a couple of hours in the evening when people are getting in.

For every degree the thermostat is set below 20 centigrade, you could save more money. During the warmer months, try to shut the heating off altogether, or only use it during especially chilly evenings.

Compare energy prices and see how much money you can save.
Compare energy prices