Utilities

No. Our rents do not include utilities however this is something that we can offer to our tenants as a standalone package via UniHomes.

We'll run through all the options and costs with you and then you can choose the best option for you.

The 3 main bills that you will need to budget for are Electricity, Water and Gas. Additionally there may be a TV licence to buy per property and then any broadband or TV package that you may opt for.

The majority of our properties come with a free internet service for our tenants use.

When you move in to your property take a meter reading for Gas, Electricity & Water. You may need a large plastic meter box key which opens the Gas & Electric meter cabinets if your meters are located outside. Some houses do not have water meters and water is billed at a set amount dependent on the size & location of the property. Generally, students without a meter pay around £1 per person per week for water. Properties with water meters will pay for the amount of water actually used plus a standing charge. If you have any problems at all locating your meters and taking readings you can call MAF Properties for help. You then need to call the relevant utility company and register the bill in you and your fellow housemates names. We advise having bills in all of your housemates names as you will all be equally responsible for their payment.

Yes, you can choose your own supplier. We think it is a great idea for you to shop around and have provided links at the bottom of this page to some comparison websites. All we ask is that you inform us of your choice of supplier when you change.

Quite often bills are not based on actual meter readings, they are estimated. This can happen during the summer months if you are away and your meters are inside the property and cannot be accessed by a meter reader. You can tell from your bill if it is estimated reading, customer reading or an actual bill.

If you think this is the case read the meter yourself and compare the readings. There will be a telephone number on the bill that you can ring and give an actual reading. A revised bill will then be prepared and sent out to you.

If the bill is based on an actual reading but is still very high you may have to look at how you are using energy. Lights left on, heating on too high, computers left on all day, chargers left plugged in, appliances left on standby, water left running whilst brushing teeth, boiling more water than you need in the kettle, they all add up so take a look around and see what you could be saving.

On the last day of your tenancy the last tenant leaving the property should take final meter readings and phone them through to your utility suppliers. They should give the suppliers a forwarding address for the final bills to be sent to. A receipt should be obtained as proof of payment of each of the utility bills.