Congratulations! You’ve just bought your first home, reaching a massive milestone and a proud accomplishment in your life. Now you’re ready to settle in, decorate your space however you like… and, unfortunately, sort out your utility providers and bills.
For first-time homeowners in the UK, having a new set of utility bills to keep track of can be a headache. But as long as you follow a few rules, like this new home checklist and the following information in this article, you’ll be in a better position to keep your finances (and sanity) stable.
Here are some strategies for making bill management a smooth process.
Understand your energy bills
Paying for your gas and electricity is about more than just paying for your usage. Breaking down the different things you’re being charged for on your energy bill is a great step towards understanding and managing your utility bills.
For example, the total amount you pay for your usage will depend on the unit rate (price per kWh), and on top of that you’ll pay additional costs such as VAT, wholesale and network costs and a daily standing charge.
It’s work knowing that your tariff may differ depending on whether you’re on a traditional or prepayment meter. If you’re on a prepayment meter, the meter will continue to use credit to cover standing charges. So you’ll need to remember to top your meter up with enough credit before going on holiday so you avoid your supply getting cut off if you don’t have enough.
Avoid penalties with timely payments
With so many other things going on in your life, it’s easy to let a bill or two slip your mind. But missing payment deadlines can result in penalties added to your bill and extra stress.
The easiest way to make sure you pay on time, every time, is to set up a Direct Debit with your utility providers. This way you won’t have to worry about missing another bill again.
Another way to streamline your bills is to bundle as many of them together as possible. Which brings us to the next tip:
Bundle your household bills
Imagine not having to keep track of multiple service providers and bill dates.
Choosing to bundle your services can save you a lot of stress because you’ll only have one bill for the services you bundle, and one account with one password to remember.
Utility Warehouse (UW) is currently the UK’s only genuine multiservice provider that can bundle several home services onto a single monthly bill. Their services include energy, broadband, mobile and insurance, and customers can mix and match the services they need. UW also offers discounts for service bundles, with bigger discounts for more services taken.
Simplify payments with technology
Going paperless with your bills is great for the environment, but some might feel anxious that not having a physical bill will make it easier to forget about them. Luckily Utility Warehouse’s (UW) app also features convenient reminders and the ability to pay for all the services you take with them at once.
This is not only a great time-saver, but can also save you the worry of falling behind on a forgotten bill and having to pay extra penalties as a result.
Not only that, but you can also manage any services you have on your account while on the go using your mobile phone. So you don’t have to worry about missing any bills while you’re away from home.
Unlock additional money-saving benefits
While it’s obviously important to keep tabs on which bills your money’s going to, it’s also important to save as much money as possible on your home outgoings.
On top of the convenience of bundling their services, UW customers can also reap the rewards of cashback incentives with their customer-exclusive Cashback Card. The card gives cardholders cashback whenever the card is used, which then comes straight off their UW bill. Even more cashback can be earned when the card is used with UW’s retail partners – up to 10% cashback, in fact. So you can save money on anything from your weekly grocery shop to your next holiday.
So if you’re moving or have just moved into your new home, remember to take into account the above pointers to make managing your utilities as stress-free (and affordable) as possible.
And once everything is sorted, it’s time for the best part: enjoying your new home.