Setting up your utility bills 

One of the first things to tick off your list is setting up your bills for gas, electricity, and water, if utility bills aren't already included in your rent. We’ve put together some guidance below to walk you through everything. 

Who supplies my gas, electricity and water? 

As utility suppliers can be changed from one tenancy to the next, we don’t keep a record of who supplies to each property, but you can find out your current suppliers in a few different ways. When you move in, you might already have a letter from your suppliers addressed to the “The New Occupier”. Alternatively, use the telephone numbers below: 

• Find out your electricity supplier – 01752 502299 or Western Power 

• Find out your gas supplier – 0870 608 1524 or FindMySupplier.energy 

Please note that the above two telephone numbers are automated, so you will need to know the postcode and first line of your address before calling. 

Your water supply will be with Welsh Water, who can be contacted on 0800 052 0145 or via their website. 

How do I set up my utility accounts? 

The vast majority of properties have gas and electricity meters installed – the readings on which your supplier’s bill will be based on – so you’ll first need to locate these. Once found, take a record of each reading and remember the date on which you’ve taken them. Please take your meter readings as soon as you first enter the property. It’s also worth noting the meter serial numbers at this time. 

If you're in a flat or apartment block, you may find multiple meters grouped together in a communal area. These meters aren’t always clearly labelled, so identifying which one belongs to your property is important. If that’s the case, look for a serial number printed or engraved on each meter and compare it with any bill you’ve received / check it with your supplier. 

Next, make contact with each supplier and provide them with the readings you have taken. It’s advisable to do this via telephone, but you can also do it online. 

The suppliers will need to know what date to open your account from, so please ensure you provide them with your tenancy start date, rather than the day you moved in. 

Water bills are typically based on a set charge determined by Welsh Water, so you’re unlikely to have a meter for this. Please make contact with Welsh Water and set-up your account from your tenancy start date. 

When should I set up my utility accounts? 

Immediately. As soon as you move in, you should take your meter readings and make contact with your suppliers. Please don’t delay this. 

When and how do I pay my utility bills?  

How often you’re required to pay your bills will need to be agreed direct with your supplier, but they will all accept payment by way of Direct Debit, bank transfer or debit/credit card. 

Some contract-holders choose to set up a ‘household bank account’ which everybody pays into, whereas others will have one person pay the total bill and then collect payment from the other members of the group. 

Where I’ve been paying a reduced rent as part of a permitted variation of the contract and living elsewhere, do I need to pay for the utilities? 

Yes you do, but as the property will have been empty for this period, any usage will be zero to minimal, so that part of your bill will be extremely low. 

Pretty much every utility company will apply ‘standing charges’ on top, regardless of whether the property was occupied or not, and there’s no avoiding these unfortunately. 

Am I allowed to change my utility suppliers? 

Yes, you are. You can use a website like Money Saving Expert to compare prices across suppliers. 

Is there an easier way to handle all bills? 

We can put you in touch with a company that offers an all-inclusive student utilities package that can be added to any home. They'll sort your gas, electricity, water, internet and TV licence (optional) in one easy payment, split between housemates. This means none of your housemates will be responsible for all of your payments, and you won’t have to stress about how much your bills are every month. Let us know if you'd like us to refer you and your contact details to them for a free, no-obligation quote.