1 min read • April 25 2024
Do students pay water and sewerage?
Yes, students have to pay for water and sewerage unless they’re staying in Scotland, then the rules are a little different. But if you’re not living there and are elsewhere in the UK, we’re here to help you. Thinking about student utility bills can be daunting when all you want to do is enjoy the student life stress-free. But dealing with your water bill isn’t all that complicated as you’ll soon find out.
Are water and sewerage separate bills?
They will be paid in the same bill, making everything that little bit easier. Working out the price of this depends if you’re on a standard or metered tariff.
Standard – This estimates how much water usage will come from your property using government data. This is usually paid once a quarter year or sometimes once a month for full-time students.
Metered – This is when a meter will take note of how much water your house uses, and in turn, you’ll have to pay the relevant amount. This is charged twice a year (every six months) for full-time students.
The expected cost of your water bill
The cost can vary depending on what area you live in, how big the property is, but also what tariff your house is on.
But what sort of amount can you expect to pay? Unfortunately, students don’t get a discount on water bills, but once you’ve split it between you and your house mates, it’ll be cheaper. It’s impossible to give an exact amount, but somewhere around £10 a month for each student can usually be expected.
Managing student water bills
Once you’ve set up your water bill, you’re good to go. Somewhere along the line, you may find yourself wanting to make it cheaper, or even changing it. We’ll cover all of this here.
How do I set up my water bill?
Because water bills are managed by the Government, you won’t need to search around for deals. If you do an online search for who the water supplier is for your local area, you can contact them, and they’ll help you set everything up.
Things to remember:
- Make sure everyone living in the house is on the water bill
- Write down somewhere what dates you will have to make payments
- Most of the time, you’ll be given different options of how you can pay, like over the phone, online, or through direct debit. Discuss with your house mates what works for them.
How do I change my water bill?
Many people prefer being on a standard tariff but being on a metered connection can help you make your bill a bit cheaper. This does mean you need to be a bit more careful with how much water you and your house mates are using. Once you change to a metered tariff, you can’t switch back, so think about what you want before you do anything.
When moving house, you need to let your water supplier know. If the company at your new property is the same, they can cancel your old address and register you at your new one. If they’re different, you’ll need to change to that one and repeat the process of signing up again. If you have a meter, you need to give notice so the last reading can be taken.
How to reduce your water bill
If you’re on a standard tariff, you’ll pay a set cost no matter what amount of water you use. But there is one thing to bear in mind – every April, water companies will review costs (they usually go up, but on occasion can go down slightly.)
For those on a meter tariff, because you’re charged on your usage, you can work on using less water like we previously discussed. Here are some examples of how you can do this:
- Turn the tap off the tap when it’s not needed whilst brushing your teeth
- Do the washing up in one go
- Have shorter showers
- Collect rainwater and use it to water your plants
Explore student bill management services today
Our bill splitting service can combine your households’ bills into one! This includes your water. This monthly statement is then be split among everyone living in the property instead of you manually dividing the coins among yourselves. If you sign up with us, we’ll plant a tree as a step towards helping the planet too.
