Housing & Bills - Saving Money - Student Funding

Housing and Bills

Warwick managed accommodation

If you choose to rent a property through Warwick Accommodation, you won't be required to pay a deposit, summer retainer or agent's fees and you will pay your rent directly to the university in termly instalments. Visit the Warwick AccommodationLink opens in a new window pages for further information.

Make sure to check your accommodation contract, as you may also be expected to move out over vacation periods (e.g. Easter) and hence you may face additional transport or storage costs.

Don't forget to think about contents insurance! For more information about this, check out the Insurance tab on our Living and Course CostsLink opens in a new window webpage.

Non-Warwick managed accommodation

Most landlords require a deposit to be paid before your tenancy is confirmed. This is usually returned to you at the end of your tenancy period, provided you and your housemates leave the property in a clean and tidy condition. The deposit amount can differ depending on the size of the property and the number of people you are living with. If you have an assured shorthold tenancy agreement, landlords are required by law to protect your deposit in a Government approved protection schemeLink opens in a new window. See the Warwick Students' Union Advice Centre - HousingLink opens in a new window page for more information about non-Warwick managed accomodation.

When looking at a property to rent, you should confirm with the landlord/letting agent how much deposit you will be required to pay and any other administration or contract fees, as you will need to factor this into your budget. Also, be aware of how and when you will be required to pay your rent - will this be weekly, monthly, termly or quarterly? Do the payment dates match up to when your funding will be paid?

Don't forget to think about contents insurance! For more information about this, check out the Insurance tab on our Living and Course CostsLink opens in a new window webpage.

Utility Bills

Your tenancy agreement will state which utility bills are your responsibility. Usually, tenants are responsible for gas, electricity, water, broadband and phone charges. These are usually paid monthly or quarterly. Remember to take meter readings for your gas, electricity and water on the day you move into the property, for example by taking a photograph of these on your phone, and submit up-to-date readings regularly. This will ensure your bills are accurate. Understanding gas and electric bills can be confusing - take a look at the uSwitch Guide to reading your billLink opens in a new window for further help.

Click here for utility bill saving tips

You can often choose to pay your utility bills by direct debit, online or at banks/ post offices. However, some suppliers provide customers with a discount if they pay by direct debit.

It can be cheaper to obtain your gas and electricity from the same supplier, as some companies provide customers with a dual fuel discount.

Always make sure you compare the different tariffs available so that you choose the best deal to suit your needs. You may find using a comparison website useful to quickly compare lots of different suppliers.

For gas and electricity, in particular, you will need to decide whether you want a fixed rate or a variable rate tariff. A fixed-rate means that your costs per unit, will not increase during the agreed term. A variable rate might be cheaper but you could be subject to increases in costs, although suppliers will provide notice of this in advance. If you do opt for a fixed-term tariff, ensure that when the tariff comes to an end you check for better deals elsewhere as you will automatically be placed on a Standard Variable Tariff, which is often more expensive than other deals you could be getting.

Remember that as a tenant paying utility bills directly to the supplier, you are entitled to change your provider if you feel you would get a cheaper deal elsewhere. However, this could be subject to an early exit fee if you have signed up for a fixed-term tariff.

The person named on the bill is legally responsible for paying it. You might want to discuss with your housemates about asking the companies to list you all on the bill or alternatively, each housemate taking charge of a different bill. You may also like to consider using a bill-splitting app to separate the bills between you and your housemates, see Save the Student - How to split bills between housematesLink opens in a new window for more information.

For more money-saving tips relating specifically to your energy bills, take a look at our Energy Link opens in a new windowwebpage.

Council Tax and TV License

If the property is occupied solely by full-time students, you should not be liable for council tax payments. However, if part-time or non-students live in the property you may be required to make some council tax payment. Your local council will often require evidence of your student status, for this, you can request a Student Status Letter from the Student Information Centre.Link opens in a new window

Find out more about council tax, and how to provide evidence that you are a student at your local council website:

You may also need to purchase a TV license whilst in any type of accommodation (this includes watching/streaming content on devices other than a TV). For more information, take a look at the webpage University Students and the TV licenceLink opens in a new window. Here you will find more information about:

When you need a TV license
Whether you need an individual or household TV license
Payment plans and options

Remember that you may be liable for a large fine if you watch content without one!

Household Expenses and Goods

You may be used to shopping for yourself, but there are a variety of household items that you could share the cost of. For example, tea/coffee, milk, cleaning products, toilet rolls and laundry powder. Why not set up a household kitty for these kinds of items? Sharing the costs can lead to savings for everyone and means that you can take advantage of bulk buy discounts.

When you move off campus into non-Warwick-managed accommodation, you may be tempted to spend money to make your new house feel more homely, but before you do, think if you really need it. There might be essential items that you need to buy and shopping around for these can really help your budget. Check sites like eBay or Facebook Marketplace for second-hand goods, try charity shops or ask friends and relatives if they can help.

Travel

Living off-campus means that you may have some distance to travel to the university. Consider your travel options carefully. Using your car may be more convenient, but the running costs may leave a huge dent in your budget. You should note that Parking on campusLink opens in a new window is currently charged at £7 a day (weekdays 8 am - 5 pm, reduced rate for evenings and weekends). In certain circumstances you may be eligible for support with parking, please see the Transport and Mobility - Support with student parking webpageLink opens in a new window for more information.

Taking public transport, cycling or walking can be more budget and environmentally friendly! If you are considering public transport, remember that you can purchase travel passes that can often work out cheaper than buying daily tickets. You can find out more about Student Bus Passes on the following webpages:

Students aged 16-30 can also purchase a railcard to get up to 1/3rd off their rail journeys.

Trainline - RailcardsLink opens in a new window

If you live in Coventry you might like to use the West Midlands Cycle Hire service. They have several bike stations across the city, including a few on campus, and it's pay-as-you-go so you just pay for what you use. Find out more on the West Midlands Cycle Hire websiteLink opens in a new window. If you've bought your own bike to university and it needs fixing or a service, there is a weekly Bike Repair and Maintenance ServiceLink opens in a new window on the Piazza every Thursday during term time from 10am until 4pm.

Don't forget to factor in travel costs at the start and end of each term. Make sure to check your accommodation contract, as you may also be expected to move out over vacation periods (e.g. Easter) and hence you may face additional transport and/or storage costs.