Household Costs Guide

Bills bills bills...

Picture of a Toucan with a large bill, a play on words with household bills

The information set out in this Guide is general guidance for students. It should not be seen as definitive or legal advice

Managing Your Household Finances Like a Pro!

Household expenses often cause stress and can strain friendships (we’ve seen it happen…a lot!). However, with proper preparation, you can avoid disputes and foster a harmonious living environment, leading to studential bliss!

Bills

Know the ins and outs of your rent – some landlords cover water rates, while others don't.
Review your tenancy agreement carefully; it might include additional bills like gas, electricity, and internet.
Get the lowdown from previous tenants on gas, electricity, and water costs if possible.
Take those meter readings pronto after the previous tenants have departed, you don’t want to be landed with a bill that’s not yours!
If you're footing the bills, switch them to your name with suppliers ASAP. Decide whether to go solo or opt for joint billing among housemates for shared responsibility.
Check out handy apps for dividing bills seamlessly in shared digs.
Draft up a written agreement with your roomies detailing who's in charge of what bills. Apps can lend a hand in ensuring fair division and clarity on everyone's responsibilities.
See our Finance pages for more advice and tips on cutting student living costs.

Insurance

Don't gamble with safety – students can be easy targets for theft! Your landlord's insurance won't cover your personal stash.
Shop around for insurance that suits your needs.
Make sure your policy has you covered even during those well-deserved holidays.

Council Tax

If everyone under your roof is a full-time student, rejoice – you're council tax-exempt! Just show the council a certificate proving your student status. Need one? Here's how to snag it:
- University of Exeter students:
  Generate your exemption letter via the self-service letter printing option in your student record on iExeter. The University of Exeter Student Status Letters
- Falmouth University students:
  Request a student status letter through the portal at My Falmouth or the app. Click on the ‘Student Status Letters’ tile and choose the type of letter you need.
  Falmouth University Student Portal proof of registration information
If there's a non-student among you, brace yourself – council tax may come knocking. But fear not! You don’t have to pay council tax while you are a student, until the day after the last day of term. Pitching in towards their bill is a choice, not a mandate.

If council tax status has you scratching your head, don't sweat it – reach out to the SU Advice Team for guidance.

TV Licence Tips

Why do I need a TV Licence?
“A TV Licence is a legal permission to install or use television receiving equipment to watch TV channels on any TV service, watch live TV on streaming services, and to use BBC iPlayer. This includes recording and downloading. On any device. The licence fee is not a payment for BBC services (or any other television service)”. See the TV Licence Framework here for more details

Unless you never watch TV or use streaming services, chances are you'll need a TV Licence.
In halls or single tenancies, typically, one TV licence is needed per tenancy agreement/room. So, for shared tenancies, just one TV licence covers the entire household.
TV Licence refund!
You only need to pay for your TV licence for the months you live in your accommodation, so if you go home for the summer, you might be eligible for a partial refund, see the TV Licensing page about refunds here for more info on how to claim
Dive into the details here on the TV Licensing website
Or give the help and contact page a visit here.