Utilities
Click the links below to find out more about...
- Why do I need to know about this?
- What do I need to know?
- Why do I need to take a meter reading?
- How do I find out who supplies the gas, electricity and water to my house?
- Gas safety
- Complaints
- Common Questions
- Student Advice Centre
1. Why Do I need to know about this?
Most rent in the private sector does not include the cost of utilities. Ignoring them does not mean that you'll get away without paying and it may lead to problems getting your deposit back at the end of your tenancy. Companies have very good tracing services - if you don't pay and register for use later at a new address, they could find you there.
2. What do I need to know?
Find and read your meter when you move into your new house, make a note of the readings and contact the suppliers with the name of each of the tenants and the reading to open an account. Don't 'take one each', it's important that the utilities are in the name of all of the tenants as it can cause problems in the future if bills remain unpaid.
The utility companies should allow you all to register jointly and it is only the cable and telephone companies which do not allow you to do so, so it may be a good idea to open a house bank account where these bills are paid from. However its worth remembering that whoever's name is on the bill, the whole house has joint liability for paying the bills.
If you cannot find the meters in your property or there is some confusion over what meter services your house or flat, contact your landlord or estate agent.
3. Why do I need to take a meter reading?
When you take your meter reading inform the company of it, you are agreeing to pay for all gas, water or electricity from this point onwards. Therefore, if you don't take a reading from when you move in you may end up paying part of the previous tenant's bill, as it is difficult otherwise to prove when your account started from.
4. How do I find out who supplies the gas, electricity and water to my house?
Water: Yorkshire Water supplies Water to everyone in this area. Unless you are on a meter you don't have to get a reading for this. Contact Yorkshire Water with your names and they will set up an account for you which can be paid monthly or three monthly. To contact Yorkshire Water to set up your account or for any problems to do with your water www.yorkshirewater.com
Gas and Electricity: Many companies can now supply your gas or electricity or both. However with choice often comes confusion. To find out who currently supplies gas to your house contact M-Number on 0870 6081524.
Remember if you don't do this straight away you could find yourself paying for the previous tenant's gas.
Although M-Number will give you the telephone number for your supplier, here are the websites of the most commonly used gas suppliers in the local area:
- British Gas www.house.co.uk
- NPower www.npower.co.uk
If yours isn't listed here, you can find details of other suppliers at www.ofgem.gov.uk
To find out your electricity supplier contact M-Pas on 0845 3300889 with your meter reading as before. Although there are many suppliers working in this area, the most common ones are:
- NPower www.npower.co.uk
- Powergen www.powergen.com
- Atlantic Electric and Gas www.atlanticeg.com
- British Gas www.home.co. uk
- There is also a new supplier - Ebico http://www.ebico.co.uk/ who may be cheaper for customers on a prepayment meter.
5. Gas Safety
Your landlord should have given you a copy of your Gas Safety Record when you moved in to prove that all your appliances were safe and had been checked in the past year. It is a legal requirement that your landlord does this annually. For more information have a look at www.gassaferegister.co.uk
If you smell gas in or around your house it is important that you call Transco immediately on 0800 111999.
For more information visit www.transco.co.uk
We also have some more information on safety in the home on our home safety and disrepair pages.
6. Complaints
You should always make your initial complaint to the supplier. However if you are still unhappy you can take your complaint to the utilities ombudsman, Energywatch. www.energywatch.org.uk. For more information on the gas and electricity industries: www.ofgem.gov.uk.
For more in depth advice on any of this please contact the Student Advice Centre.
7. Common Questions
Please click on the questions below to read the answers.
What happens if someone moves out?
What happens if the others don't pay their share of the bills?
What happens if we don't receive a bill?
What happens if we think the bill is too high?
What if I want to change my supplier?
8. Student Advice Centre
For more in depth advice on any of this please contact the Student Advice Centre, Leeds University Union, PO Box 157, Leeds, LS1 1UH, tel: 0113 3801300, fax: 0113 3801301, email: advice@union.leeds.ac.uk.
Please be aware that we are only able to advise current or prospective students of Leeds University.
These pages are for guidance only and are not a substitute for diverse legislation that they cover. The information was checked and correct at the time of writing. LUU Student Advice Centre is not responsible for the content of external websites.
If you have any comments or queries about this page please email: advice@luu.leeds.ac.uk.
LUU Student Advice Centre October 2006
