Over 50s Moving to UK INFO Thread: UTILITIES
Jun 11th 2011, 6:07 pm
#16
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Re: Over 50s Moving to UK INFO Thread: UTILITIES
"We live in a 3 bed 1970's 1500 sqft detached house in 1/4 acre plot.
Monthly costs for 2 adults and 2 teenagers:
Electricity £40
Gas £60"
I've seen similar numbers to these several times elsewhere, that is around 1,200 to 1,300 per annum for Gas and Electricity.
such as:
"Leccy/gas £110" per month for a single guy in Scotland.
but here is a higher one:
"but for a family of four we pay £148 a month for gas and electricity. However, I am home during the day and I don't skimp. When I'm cold the heating goes on, if the weather is suspect the washing goes in the dryer. I have 2 teenagers so there is lots of washing."
Last edited by Pistolpete2; Jun 11th 2011 at 6:30 pm. Reason: 148
Jun 11th 2011, 6:13 pm
#17
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Joined: May 2006
Location: ex ex-pat, in Taunton
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Re: Over 50s Moving to UK INFO Thread: UTILITIES
This was on another thread:
"We live in a 3 bed 1970's 1500 sqft detached house in 1/4 acre plot.
Monthly costs for 2 adults and 2 teenagers:
Electricity £40
Gas £60"
I've seen similar numbers to these several times elsewhere, that is around 1,200 to 1,300 per annum for Gas and Electricity.
"We live in a 3 bed 1970's 1500 sqft detached house in 1/4 acre plot.
Monthly costs for 2 adults and 2 teenagers:
Electricity £40
Gas £60"
I've seen similar numbers to these several times elsewhere, that is around 1,200 to 1,300 per annum for Gas and Electricity.
Jun 11th 2011, 9:13 pm
#18
Home Sweet Home
Joined: Jan 2010
Location: Surrey, England
Posts: 5,128
Re: Over 50s Moving to UK INFO Thread: UTILITIES
From a single persons perspective.........
I live in a one bedroom flat on my own and am at work all day I have spoken to the Electric people and the Gas people just this past few weeks and based on an average of the last tenant's useage in this very small property I have arranged a Direct Debit of £20.00 per month for electricity and £10.00 per month for gas (hot water only).
I will adjust it after a few months if necessary.........
My water rates will be £29.00 per month and after talking to various family member's today who live on their own and finding out what they pay (on average £16.00 per month) I will probably get a water meter installed if I can arrange an appointment at a convenient time as I have just started a new job and can't take time off.
I live in a one bedroom flat on my own and am at work all day I have spoken to the Electric people and the Gas people just this past few weeks and based on an average of the last tenant's useage in this very small property I have arranged a Direct Debit of £20.00 per month for electricity and £10.00 per month for gas (hot water only).
I will adjust it after a few months if necessary.........
My water rates will be £29.00 per month and after talking to various family member's today who live on their own and finding out what they pay (on average £16.00 per month) I will probably get a water meter installed if I can arrange an appointment at a convenient time as I have just started a new job and can't take time off.
Last edited by Beedubya; Jun 11th 2011 at 9:52 pm.
Jun 12th 2011, 6:30 am
#19
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
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Re: Over 50s Moving to UK INFO Thread: UTILITIES
It was all on at the house I rented too, I just called the electric, gas and telephone to tell them the day that I moved in. They also just turned the phone back on and I had the same number as the family who lived there before me, which I thought was strange they didn't move far but had to have a new number.
I put money aside each month or that 3 month bill seemed too big to contemplate.
I put money aside each month or that 3 month bill seemed too big to contemplate.
Jun 13th 2011, 6:36 pm
#20
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,197
Re: Over 50s Moving to UK INFO Thread: UTILITIES
Hi Tina, and thanks for your nice words.
In our research - and for what we were after and for our location - yes, SKY was best. The clincher for us/me was that for an extra £5 per month, I get UNLIMITED calls to U.S. landlines AND mobile phones (all 3 of my adult children have mobiles), which I think is a superb deal.
No problems whatsoever with our Broadband, either. However....
...we've had some major irksome issues with our cable, but it really isn't SKY's fault. The house we are living in is 3 stories tall and because it is built upon a hill, there is a lower-ground floor which means that we kind of have a 'moat' around the house. Well, we tied in to the existing satellite dish on the house but on a windy day (and there are plenty - we're high atop a hill) the tall trees on the property next door do a number on our signal and it's positively maddening with constant pixelation of the tv picture or the dropping off of satellite connection altogether. We finally had SKY come back out and were told that in order to get a good signal, the dish should actually be located on the chimney but that we would have to pay for an individual to come out and relocate it, that even SKY's 'special heights team' did not have a ladder that tall!
Well, hubby doesn't really want to shell out the extra money for that, so we are actually considering dropping the cable tv portion of our bundle and just sticking with Freeview - but we'll keep SKY Broadband and the phone.
Something for people to bear in mind with regard to a satellite dish ... the height of your house and any interference with tall trees!
Hope this helps.
Denise
In our research - and for what we were after and for our location - yes, SKY was best. The clincher for us/me was that for an extra £5 per month, I get UNLIMITED calls to U.S. landlines AND mobile phones (all 3 of my adult children have mobiles), which I think is a superb deal.
No problems whatsoever with our Broadband, either. However....
...we've had some major irksome issues with our cable, but it really isn't SKY's fault. The house we are living in is 3 stories tall and because it is built upon a hill, there is a lower-ground floor which means that we kind of have a 'moat' around the house. Well, we tied in to the existing satellite dish on the house but on a windy day (and there are plenty - we're high atop a hill) the tall trees on the property next door do a number on our signal and it's positively maddening with constant pixelation of the tv picture or the dropping off of satellite connection altogether. We finally had SKY come back out and were told that in order to get a good signal, the dish should actually be located on the chimney but that we would have to pay for an individual to come out and relocate it, that even SKY's 'special heights team' did not have a ladder that tall!
Well, hubby doesn't really want to shell out the extra money for that, so we are actually considering dropping the cable tv portion of our bundle and just sticking with Freeview - but we'll keep SKY Broadband and the phone.
Something for people to bear in mind with regard to a satellite dish ... the height of your house and any interference with tall trees!
Hope this helps.
Denise
hello denise,
yes, thank you, this--plus the following post with SKY breakdown prices-- is indeed very useful!
Thank you.
Tina
Jun 16th 2011, 2:42 am
#21
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Re: Over 50s Moving to UK INFO Thread: UTILITIES
DDL.....Thankyou so much for all the good information hopefully one of these days it will come in useful. What is freeview.
Jun 16th 2011, 7:05 am
#22
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Joined: May 2006
Location: ex ex-pat, in Taunton
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Re: Over 50s Moving to UK INFO Thread: UTILITIES
Freeview is the digital TV channels that are Free to View, you can get a box, or most new TVs are already fitted with the decoder, channels are like BBC, ITV, C4, C5 shopping channels and some others, about 45 in all.
Jun 16th 2011, 9:25 pm
#23
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Joined: Jun 2008
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Re: Over 50s Moving to UK INFO Thread: UTILITIES
mikelincs....Thankyou.
Jun 18th 2011, 4:05 pm
#24
Just Joined
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Posts: 4
Re: Over 50s Moving to UK INFO Thread: UTILITIES
Hi DDL,
Typically in the UK, you would notify the utilities when you leave a property give them you latest meter readings to settle the last bills.
Then the next tenant/owner take over by contacting the utilities and giving them the meter readings as you arrive.
As per previous poster, it is essential to take the meter readings asap to avoid being charged incorrectly.
Typically in the UK, you would notify the utilities when you leave a property give them you latest meter readings to settle the last bills.
Then the next tenant/owner take over by contacting the utilities and giving them the meter readings as you arrive.
As per previous poster, it is essential to take the meter readings asap to avoid being charged incorrectly.
Jun 18th 2011, 10:03 pm
#25
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,198
Re: Over 50s Moving to UK INFO Thread: UTILITIES
Hi DDL,
Typically in the UK, you would notify the utilities when you leave a property give them you latest meter readings to settle the last bills. Then the next tenant/owner take over by contacting the utilities and giving them the meter readings as you arrive. As per previous poster, it is essential to take the meter readings asap to avoid being charged incorrectly.
Typically in the UK, you would notify the utilities when you leave a property give them you latest meter readings to settle the last bills. Then the next tenant/owner take over by contacting the utilities and giving them the meter readings as you arrive. As per previous poster, it is essential to take the meter readings asap to avoid being charged incorrectly.
Jul 4th 2011, 11:57 am
#26
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,198
Re: Over 50s Moving to UK INFO Thread: UTILITIES
Bumping up thread to update:
We applied online here for a tv license, which arrived today.
Here's what it says:
You pay for your first licence within 6 months of your licence start date. (We set up a monthly direct debit of £24.25/month for ours.)
You then pay for your next licence over 12 months at £12.18/month.
Rather confusing, but that's the way they do it.
At age 75, you can apply for a free licence.
We applied online here for a tv license, which arrived today.
Here's what it says:
You're now covered to do more than just watch TV at home on a TV set. You can also watch and record television programmes as they're being shown on TV through your computer, games console, any digital box, DVD/VHS recorder, even your mobile phone.
The licence fee is £145.50 and here's how it works:You pay for your first licence within 6 months of your licence start date. (We set up a monthly direct debit of £24.25/month for ours.)
You then pay for your next licence over 12 months at £12.18/month.
Rather confusing, but that's the way they do it.
At age 75, you can apply for a free licence.
Jul 5th 2011, 11:16 pm
#27
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,198
Re: Over 50s Moving to UK INFO Thread: UTILITIES
We've decided to bundle our electric and gas with the same supplier (British Gas) and today received confirmation of what our monthly direct debit will be: £74/month. They based this on our usage thus far (since moving in) but with the programme we selected (it's very confusing, the variety of 'plans' you have to chose from) we can submit monthly meter readings ourself (either online or via an iPhone app) and will only pay for what we use.
Just a note: I don't know if it's like this everywhere in the UK (am sure that it's not in the more remote areas), but when we went online to research gas and electric suppliers in our area, there were LOADS of different companies. It can really take a lot of time to determine who you ultimately want to go with....and then even after you make what you think is an informed decision, you can still question yourself as to whether or not you are getting the best deal.
Maddenning!
Just a note: I don't know if it's like this everywhere in the UK (am sure that it's not in the more remote areas), but when we went online to research gas and electric suppliers in our area, there were LOADS of different companies. It can really take a lot of time to determine who you ultimately want to go with....and then even after you make what you think is an informed decision, you can still question yourself as to whether or not you are getting the best deal.
Maddenning!
Jul 6th 2011, 3:35 am
#28
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 202
Re: Over 50s Moving to UK INFO Thread: UTILITIES
We've decided to bundle our electric and gas with the same supplier (British Gas) and today received confirmation of what our monthly direct debit will be: £74/month. They based this on our usage thus far (since moving in) but with the programme we selected (it's very confusing, the variety of 'plans' you have to chose from) we can submit monthly meter readings ourself (either online or via an iPhone app) and will only pay for what we use.
Just a note: I don't know if it's like this everywhere in the UK (am sure that it's not in the more remote areas), but when we went online to research gas and electric suppliers in our area, there were LOADS of different companies. It can really take a lot of time to determine who you ultimately want to go with....and then even after you make what you think is an informed decision, you can still question yourself as to whether or not you are getting the best deal.
Maddenning!
Just a note: I don't know if it's like this everywhere in the UK (am sure that it's not in the more remote areas), but when we went online to research gas and electric suppliers in our area, there were LOADS of different companies. It can really take a lot of time to determine who you ultimately want to go with....and then even after you make what you think is an informed decision, you can still question yourself as to whether or not you are getting the best deal.
Maddenning!
What a great idea for a thread, very useful. We are just getting ready to leave (July 22nd) so this is very helpful. I will post anything I find out when we arrive and as soon as I have an internet connection.
Jul 6th 2011, 4:52 am
#29
Home Sweet Home
Joined: Jan 2010
Location: Surrey, England
Posts: 5,128
Re: Over 50s Moving to UK INFO Thread: UTILITIES
I was just wondering if there was any REAL saving to be had at the end of the day with these various companies? Or after you have gotten down to the nitty gritty and the fancy advertising are they all much of a muchness?
I know I changed electricty providers once or twice in Australia and never noticed any difference.......
I know I changed electricty providers once or twice in Australia and never noticed any difference.......
Jul 6th 2011, 9:35 am
#30
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Joined: May 2006
Location: ex ex-pat, in Taunton
Posts: 27,205
Re: Over 50s Moving to UK INFO Thread: UTILITIES
Try looking at the comparison sites, like uswitch, yes they do work.