Utilities and Household Expenses
On this page:
Gas and
Electricity Water Council
Tax TV
Licence Insurance
Refuse
Collection Child
Care Cost of Running a
Car Shopping (Groceries)
Gas and Electricity
Competition has now been introduced into the supply of
electricity and gas in the UK, and there are a number of choices of
supplier. Details and price comparisons can be found at
Consumer Focus. Contact the individual companies for
application procedures and connection charges.
For the supply of both gas and electricity, a credit meter is
usually supplied and regular bills are sent to the customer
following meter readings. In some accommodation you may already
have, or choose to have, a "prepay" meter. This involves crediting
your gas/electricity meter using cash, and means you aren't sent
bills. This method is particularly useful for people who are
worried about budgeting or running up debts. For new customers the
company may ask for some form of security in the form of a cash
deposit, a guarantor or a direct debit arrangement.
Water
Domestic water supply is provided in the UK by a number of
private companies. In Worcestershire the company is Severn Trent.
There is no charge for taking over a supply that is already
connected. You may be able to choose whether to have your water
supply metered or whether to be charged by another method (eg. a
flat rate charge or one based on the value of the property). Tap
water is safe to drink in the UK.
Council Tax
This is payable to your local Council. The amount of Council Tax
you pay will depend on the accommodation in which you live and your
personal circumstances.
Your Council Tax contributes to the budget requirements of the
local Council, your Town or Parish Council and the Police and Fire
Authority all of whom provide services to the people of
Worcestershire. Services provided by Worcestershire
Councils include: Libraries and Museums, Parks, Social
Care, Street Cleaning, Highways, Environmental Health, Planning and
Building Control. Each Council has produced a leaflet
detailing how services are funded, and more information can be
accessed
here.
TV Licence
Law requires a television licence for every household using
television services, and the revenue raised from licenses is used
to finance the BBC. For further information please visit http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/.
Insurance
This will depend on your personal circumstances. You will need
to check whether your particular accommodation includes any
insurance. When renting an unfurnished property, it is usual for
the landlord to hold buildings insurance and the tenant to arrange
his or her own "contents" insurance. If you need to arrange cover,
there are many websites where you can compare insurance to help you
obtain the best deal.
Refuse Collection
Local authorities are responsible for providing refuse
collection services, and household waste is usually collected on a
weekly basis. Refuse collectors leave black bin bags when they
collect household waste. In most parts of Worcestershire, refuse
collectors also collect items such as paper, textiles, cans and
plastic, and different bags are provided for this. For more
information on Worcestershire's kerbside recycling please click on
the link for your area
Child Care
The cost of a full-time nursery place or place with a
Childminder for a child under the age of two is in the region of
£160 per week. The typical cost for an after school club is £40 for
15 hours a week. The typical weekly cost of a place for a child in
a summer play scheme is £91.56 a week.
(Source: 2009 Childcare Costs Survey and 2008 Holiday Costs
survey by the Daycare Trust)
Cost of Running a Car
The main costs involved in running a car are road tax, MOT,
insurance and fuel. Costs for tax and insurance vary greatly taking
into account many different factors. Unleaded petrol is
approximately 90.6p a litre. See the section on "Owning a Car", or
visit http://www.dvla.gov.uk/
or http://www.vosa.gov.uk/
for further information.
Shopping (Groceries)
Typical supermarket grocery prices as at April 2009 were as
follows:
|
Loaf of sliced bread
|
75p
|
|
1 pint fresh milk
|
40p
|
|
500g dried pasta
|
55p
|
|
80 teabags
|
£1.38
|
|
100g instant coffee
|
£1.94
|
|
Medium whole chicken
|
£3.30
|
|
500g minced beef
|
£1.49
|
|
1kg apples
|
£1.28
|
(Source: University of Manchester)
