There have been nearly as many new energy policies announced as there have been prime ministers in recent months. It’s unclear what’s still in place due to the government’s habit of making U-turns.
The Energy Price Guarantee is one of them. It began on October 1, 2022, and lasts until March 31, 2023. The government will also give every household £400 off their electricity bill. This does apply to students who pay for utility packages through companies like Uni-Homes. They should discount your monthly bills accordingly.
However, some students are surprised by extra charges, as a lot of bill packages include a fair use policy. Meaning if you exceed the amount of energy detailed in your contract, you will be charged extra. Unipol, a student housing charity, has advised people to “check the bills are based on actual meter readings rather than estimated meter readings to ensure the bills are accurate.”
Students paying bills directly to their landlord are seeing their fixed contract payments rise as well, as according to Unipol, “the landlord may have reserved the right in the contract to charge a supplement if energy prices rise. As long as the clause is fair (within the meaning of the Consumer Rights Act 2015), then landlords will be able to pass on the price rises to their tenants.”
Leeds Now spoke to Elizabeth Ware, a nursing student at Leeds Beckett University. “Our bill package was not included, so we went through Uni-Homes. Our bill came to £73 pcm each, and this was a fixed cost. […] Our bill increased by £19 pcm.” She adds that “this change was really difficult,” as due to the increase, she then struggled to pay for transport to her placement and had to ask family for help on “many occasions.”
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