Average household bills

So I'm moving out on my own next month and want to know if anyone could give me any idea how much I'll be forking out for gas, electric and water. I'll be by myself in a small one bedroom flat. Work 7 hours a day, 6 days a week.

Any help would be appreciated.

A lot, depends on where you live and what sort of luxuries you get.

Council tax will prob set you back £60ish a month, electricity will depend on tariff, you can get fixed for £40-50 a month or pay as you go which might be better if you are going to be out of the house a lot.

Water is an absolute bitch, little you can do about the charges as my bills are mostly fixed charge and waste water removal. My usage was tiny and it was still 40 a month or so.

Internet etc etc.

Oh just read the meters and send the actual values to the companies. A lot of the time their approximate uses are off.

I would ignore any average figures you might find by a quick google e.g. average energy bills are c.£1100 per year but that is of course an average and you will be in the lower end offsetting the people with 6 bedroom mansions and a swimming pool

Make sure you apply for the single occupant council tax discount, that will give you a 25% reduction. Think you bills would be roughly:

Council Tax: £80 per month
Gas & Elec: £50 per month as long as you are sparing with the heating
Water: £35 per month

Don't forget broadband (can vary a lot but maybe £20 per month), TV licence (£10 per month) and contents insurance is also well worth it and doesn't cost much. Also check if you have to pay any ground rent on top of your actual rent figure - unlikely as a lot of landlords just pay it and factor into the rental cost.

I provide meter readings every 3-6 months and it never seems to change what I pay

Just keep building up 'credit'.....

Pay £100 pcm gas + leccy for a 2 bed flat, poorly insulated with high ceilings. My mate pays roughly half that for a new 1 bed energy efficient flat.

£104 council tax (living in London).

£13 internet (should be less, budget £10 max)

£15 phone line + calls

£12 tv licence

£24 water

£75 Sky (I've got everything, could probably half that)

£25 insurance

£50 cleaner (optional, obvs)

Total £418.

Strip out the optional stuff, the over-pays etc and I think I could get it down to £300 pcm. Not cheap!

Your Dominos bill must double that as well top hat.

they've got a cracking delivery special on now:

Large pizza
Garlic pizza bread
Twisted dough balls
Potato wedges

All for only £15!!!

TopHat24/7 wrote:

Twisted dough balls

Fancy you liking them..

TopHat24/7 wrote:they've got a cracking delivery special on now:

Large pizza
Garlic pizza bread
Twisted dough balls
Potato wedges

All for only £15!!!

Result, that must only set you back £45 per meal then.

Back to the OP............Don't sign for any fixed tariffs yet..

If THE SUN newspaper suggests energy prices should be slashed... this government will do it and you'll get a better deal..

Well they've reduced levies in response to public pain over cost of living and NPower have now translated that into reduced bills.

But, of course, you hate the Tories so that has to be twisted into some kind of evil under-hand doing.

Just got a letter from NPower explaining how they're doing me a massive favour by changing my tariff for me and blah blah blah blah blah

Get's on your t!ts doesn't it.

FFS just charge me the most competitive price you can and don't rip me off!

TopHat24/7 wrote:they've got a cracking delivery special on now:

Large pizza
Garlic pizza bread
Twisted dough balls
Potato wedges

All for only £15!!!

I presume the heart attack is free.    (I'm only joshing ya..!!)



With regard to Nick's query, the best advice of all is the oldest.  Shop around.

Comparison websites are good, but don't trust to only one.  Spend some time to go through as many as you can until you're happy with what you've found.

This may sound obvious, but make a list of exactly what you want.  You may think that utilities and suchlike are inflexible but it is a competitive market out there and utility providers, insurers, etc, want your business.  Don't be afraid to phone them and haggle.  Money is too precious not to.

Always ask for "best price" and then ask them what you get for that.  If it doesn't match what you want, haggle some more.

You may even qualify for discounts on Council Tax.  F'rinstance, if you are a student or if you're employed by a charitable organisation.  Check it out on the website:

https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-council-tax-discount

If you're renting, you'll probably be on a water meter.  That is a good thing for a single bloke, living alone who is out at work all day.  You'll use much less water than, say, a family with three kids, for whom water rates are a much better option.  If you're one of those rare tenants who is on water rates still, ask your landlord if you can convert to a meter.

Plan like Rommell and haggle like Scrooge.  That's the way to save money.

Good luck.

The Fourth Lion wrote:

If you're renting, you'll probably be on a water meter.  That is a good thing for a single bloke, living alone who is out at work all day...

It certainly ain't for a father of BatGirls!   

guildfordbat wrote:

The Fourth Lion wrote:

If you're renting, you'll probably be on a water meter.  That is a good thing for a single bloke, living alone who is out at work all day...

It certainly ain't for a father of BatGirls!   

Can I take  it from that, that you have daughters too..?

Expensive, aren't they..?

The Fourth Lion wrote:

guildfordbat wrote:

The Fourth Lion wrote:

If you're renting, you'll probably be on a water meter.  That is a good thing for a single bloke, living alone who is out at work all day...

It certainly ain't for a father of BatGirls!   

Can I take  it from that, that you have daughters too..?

Expensive, aren't they..?

Yes and, oh, yes.

Ent wrote:A lot, depends on where you live and what sort of luxuries you get.

Council tax will prob set you back £60ish a month, electricity will depend on tariff, you can get fixed for £40-50 a month or pay as you go which might be better if you are going to be out of the house a lot.

Water is an absolute bitch, little you can do about the charges as my bills are mostly fixed charge and waste water removal. My usage was tiny and it was still 40 a month or so.

Internet etc etc.

£60 a month WOW, my council tax is £109 and combained Gas and Electricity is £107, Water is £20ish, TV Licence £12 then Rent, Food, Internet, Sky -

Prob got left with just enough for a Pint per month after the wife and child squeeze the rest out of me! Ha!

I flush my toilet 15 times a day (I'm in the process of training the cat to do it when I'm out like that one from the FOCKERS movies) and I leave every single tap running day and night. They want to charge me a fortune for water when I'm not using it and then they bloody well recycle it anyway. Whatever we drink has already been piddled out by 2500 other people at least.

Think I'm getting royally screwed with council tax at a horrifying £165.

VDT wrote:

Ent wrote:A lot, depends on where you live and what sort of luxuries you get.

Council tax will prob set you back £60ish a month, electricity will depend on tariff, you can get fixed for £40-50 a month or pay as you go which might be better if you are going to be out of the house a lot.

Water is an absolute bitch, little you can do about the charges as my bills are mostly fixed charge and waste water removal. My usage was tiny and it was still 40 a month or so.

Internet etc etc.

£60 a month WOW, my council tax is £109 and combained Gas and Electricity is £107, Water is £20ish, TV Licence £12 then Rent, Food, Internet, Sky -

Prob got left with just enough for a Pint per month after the wife and child squeeze the rest out of me! Ha!

Single person in a flat gonna be lower.

It's extortionate anyway.