Your Guide to Student Bills in Manchester

Quick links

• You’ve signed your housing contract
• Splitting bills with student housemates in Manchester
• Energy bills in Manchester: Gas and electricity 
• Water bills for Manchester students 
• TV & broadband for Manchester students
• Council Tax & TV Licence
• The ultimate Manchester bills and budgeting cheatsheet
• Manchester student bills the easy way
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There’s nothing better than Manchester student life, but surprise bills and dodgy Wi-Fi can kill the vibe fast.

With over 100,000 students across five universities, there’s housing for every budget. From Fallowfield and Withington to Rusholme, Didsbury, and the Northern Quarter, pick a spot that fits your wallet.

Before you move in, get to grips with what you’ll be paying for gas, electricity, water, and broadband so that you can keep your money for the fun stuff.

Moving into a student house in Manchester? Keep reading to learn how to set up your bills, what they’ll cost, and how to make sure everyone pays their fair share.

You’ve signed your contract! 🎉

Before you head down to the Curry Mile to celebrate your new home, there are a few things you can do now to sort your student bills.

You don’t need to sort everything at once, but some bills (like broadband) take a bit longer to set up. Get started early and book your installation now, so you’re not left without Wi-Fi when you move in after summer.

Here are some things to do after you sign your contract:

• Find out the gas and electricity supplier: Your landlord will tell you who supplies your gas and electricity.
• Water: This might be included in your rent. If it’s not, you’ll need to set it up with United Utilities. 
• TV & Broadband: Again, your landlord might cover this in the rent. If they don’t, you’ll need to sort broadband yourself. Find out which providers cover your area with Ofcom’s broadband availability checker.
• TV licence: Students need a TV licence if they watch live TV or anything on BBC iPlayer. 
• Council tax: As a full-time student, you’re exempt from council tax, but you still need to tell the council.

Splitting bills with student housemates in Manchester

If you’re going to be living with your mates, you need to trust them to pay the bills when they’re due. There are a few different ways you canpay your student bills:

• Manually split them: This is a bit of a hassle; one person has to track what everyone owes, usually in a spreadsheet, and chase payments each month.
• A bill-splitting feature in the banking app: Lots of banking apps let you split bills, but it still has to come out of one person’s account.
• A joint house bank account: Everyone chips into one shared account, and the bills come out of that pot. Giving everyone access to the same money can be risky.
• A bills package company like Fused: A bills package from Fused bundles all your bills into one monthly payment, so everyone pays their bit automatically. No chasing, no stress.

Once you’ve agreed on how you’ll pay, you can now start moving into your new student home. Next, we’ll cover what to do when you move in to make sure your bills are all set up.

Moving week! 🚐

Whichever Manchester uni you’re at, the first week of moving in looks pretty similar. Share this checklist with your housemates so you’re all on the same page:

• Locate and photograph your meters: Ask your landlord where they are. Snap a photo so you have dated evidence in case of any disputes.
• Submit a meter reading: Pick your utility provider or set up an account with Fused, then send in your first reading.
• Contact the council for your exemption: Make sure to confirm your council tax exemption early. 
• Test your internet: Check your Wi-Fi is working properly. You’ve got a 14-day cooling-off period with most broadband providers, so now’s the time to fix any issues.

This might be the first time you’ve had to deal with household bills, so let’s break down what each one means. 

Energy bills in Manchester: Gas and electricity ⚡

Most student houses in Manchester use both gas and electricity, though some flats are electric-only. Your landlord should tell you what you’ve got, where the meters are, and who your current supplier is, but you’re free to switch if you find a better deal.

How to set up your gas and electricity

When you move in, take a meter reading and send it to your current supplier — it’s the easiest way to make sure your first bill’s spot on

• Set up an online account with your current provider — even if you plan to switch later. 
• Take a dated photo of your meters. Upload it to your provider’s site and send a copy to your landlord; it’s solid proof of when your bills started.
• Start looking for better deals: Use Ofgem’s tool to see which suppliers cover your area. If you’re using Fused, we’ll sort this step for you.
• Pick your new supplier and set up an account. Send them your latest meter reading so they know when to start billing you.
• Set up a direct debit to keep payments automatic and your outgoings consistent each month.
• Settle up with the old supplier: If you had a gap before switching, they’ll send a final bill for that period.

How to read your bill

Gas and electricity bills seem confusing at first glance, but they’re actually pretty simple once you know what you’re looking at. Your bill is made up of two parts:

• Cost per kWh (kilowatt hour): This is how much you’re charged for the energy you actually use.
• Daily standing charge: A fixed daily fee.

Your bill will show how much energy you’ve used over a month or a quarter. Even if your bill comes quarterly, you can still spread the cost and keep it predictable by setting up a monthly direct debit.

What’s The Energy Price Cap?

You’ve probably heard of The Energy Price Cap.– This is a limit set by Ofgem on the price per unit and standing charges for gas and electricity. 

The cap is on the individual unit cost, and not your overall bill. You’re still charged for what you use. So, if you use a lot of energy, your bill will be above average. 

 Read this guide to see the current price cap figures. 

The average gas and electric bill for a student house in Manchester

A flat in the Northern Quarter will have very different costs from a terraced home in Fallowfield, not to mention how your usage is the main factor impacting what you pay. 

With that in mind, here are some averages for  direct debit payments to help with your budgets:

Low usage (flat or 1-bedroom house / 1–2 people)

• Gas: 8,000 kWh
• Electricity: 1,800 kWh

• Average cost: £102.88 per month

Medium usage (3-bedroom house / 2–3 people)

• Gas: 12,000 kWh
• Electricity: 2,700 kWh
• Average cost: £143.29 per month

High usage (5-bedroom house / 4–5 people)

• Gas: 17,000 kWh
• Electricity: 4,100 kWh
• Average cost: £202.33 per month

Water bills for Manchester students 💧

Next up, sort your water bill.

Your landlord may include water in your rent. If not, then set up an account with United Utilities, which covers the whole Greater Manchester area. The average United Utilities bill is £598 per year, so that’s about £50 a month.

TV & broadband for Manchester students 🛜

Like water, broadband might already be included in your student rent. If it’s not, then you have the freedom to choose your supplier and tariff. 

Find out which broadband providers you can choose from on the Ofcom website.

Don’t get drawn into cheaper deals that last longer than your tenancy, as there will be exit fees. It’s best to stick with student broadband deals that just cover the academic year.

If you do switch from the property’s current supplier, there might be a wait. So, be proactive and get broadband sorted as soon as possible.

Read our student broadband guide to learn more about how it works. 

Council Tax & TV Licence 📺

One last thing– let’s talk about council tax and TV Licence.

Council tax for students in Manchester

Full-time students (on a course over 1 year, studying more than 21 hours/week) are exempt from council tax. You still need to tell your local council you’re exempt. Here’s the list of councils for each university area:

• Most Manchester-based students (UoM and MMU) fall under Manchester City Council.
• Salford students are covered by Salford City Council.
• Bolton students are covered by Bolton Council.
• UA92 students are covered by Trafford Council.

If you live further out, or in a different area from your fellow students, then you might be in another council, so make sure you check for yourself. 

Got a housemate who is a part-time student, or not studying at all? They’ll need to pay council tax. If there’s only one non-student housemate, they’d be seen as a ‘single occupant’, and get a 25% discount.

TV Licence

You need a TV licence if you watch live TV on any service or watch/stream anything on BBC iPlayer. You can also roll this into your monthly bills package with Fused.

If you only watch streaming services (not including the BBC), you won’t need a TV licence, but you still need to tell them you don't need one.. 

The ultimate Manchester bills and budgeting cheatsheet ☑️

Share this cheatsheet with your housemates so you’re all on the same page. 

Download your free Manchester student bills and budgeting cheatsheet. 

Manchester student bills the easy way 🙏

When living your Manchester student dreams, bills are the last thing you want to worry about. 

With a few easy steps, you can get your bills sorted from day one, so you’ll know exactly how much money you have to enjoy the city’s incredible nightlife and social scene. 

Set up a student bills package with Fused for gas, electricity, water, broadband, and your TV licence, all in one simple monthly payment. You’ll even avoid any awkwardness with housemates with our easy bill splitting service. 

Get a quote and sort your bills sorted with Fused.