Internet provider & other bills for students

[Morven11]

DS going back to uni tomorrow - new landlord has mentioned a £10.00 a month contract with one month's notice. He wasn't sure who the provider was but I wonder if it's Three.

DS is going to be sharing with x number of people he doesn't know so the easiest/cheapest arrangement seems best.

Rather (actually, very) worried about the bills. Landlord will take readings and said first student in (which may be DS) should put bills in his name and get the money from his fellow housemates. This wasn't very easy last year when DS knew his flatmate - looks to be harder this and DS, in a way understandably, doesn't want all bills to come out of his pocket.

Any thoughts/experience re any of this? Thanks!

Can be open an account, either a joint one or just in his name, which is used just for house bills. DD did this, they all set up standing orders and knew that if they didn't pay into it then the bill would not be paid because there simply wouldn't be enough money in the account. THere was no thinking 'oh I can just pay her back, she has enough money'. They could all put in a bit to start off as a buffer/emergency.

Could it be the £10month goodybag from giffgaff he's talking about?

No way would I want to be the one with responsibility for the bills. People can become very difficult to get hold of when they owe money or think it's fine to make you wait. Can't the landlord just increase the rent to include bills?

Don't make your Ds responsible for the bills. He will spend all his time chasing the others for their share!

Landlord wont want to take responsibility. Students might go out all day leaving heating on full blast. I would suggest some form of utilities account with each paying a set amount in at the start of each term. An incentive not to waste energy. If there is money left at the end, it can either be spent on the end of tenancy clean or on a party.

Scrambled very few student houses include bills, it is just how it is.

At the end of the day someone has to be responsible. It is annoying but if no one does it then they will be going without internet etc!

I think in DDs house one did the electricity/gas, one did internet, someone else did the toilet roll/washing up liquid/milk fund etc so they all had something and then they used the joint account as a collection pot to avoid anyone thinking they can just owe the other person.

If the house doesn't do included bills then maybe house meetings should be on the agenda? To agree the things that need sorting and to decide who and when, how things will be done. It gives a platform to raise issues too whereas as others say, non-payers, can easily go awol otherwise - need the pressure of the others to ensure everyone does their bit.

A joint account with DD sounds a good idea - we now do monthly meter readings here at home so that bills are accurate for power. A responsibility to do the readings but everything else is dealt with by DD.

Many thanks, all. Very good ideas which I'm thinking about and will pass on to DS. Presently, in the very large house, only one other tenant and DS told me tonight that nothing has been decided - maybe not even discussed - re bills. He needs to take hold of this but he's a bit sad at the moment, which is something I'm raising in another post!

I rather like the idea of tenants taking on responsibility on a shared basis ie one for the elec account, another for the internet account etc. Thanks for that suggestion, Ddoger.