Moving into your first rented home?
Tell us where you're moving and we'll show you which bills you need to set up, who supplies your home and what to do first.
- Your personalised bill checklist
- See where you can choose or save
- Set everything up in the right order
Your new home
See what you need to set up
Short answer
Five main bills come with a first rented home, and you choose the provider for two: energy and broadband. Council tax is set by your local council, water comes from the company serving your address and cannot be changed, and you only need a TV Licence depending on how you watch TV. For energy, you initially inherit the property's existing supplier, but you can then compare and change your deal. Broadband can take time to activate, so order it early.
5
Main household bills to sort
2
Bills where you can choose
Energy + broadband
£180/year
TV Licence, only if you need one
Below, we explain what each of the five bills is, what affects the price and where you have a choice.
What to have ready
- Your new address
- Tenancy start date
- Names of anyone moving in with you
- Check whether any bills are included in your rent
On move-in day
Take photos of your gas, electricity and water meter readings, where applicable.
You don't need these to start your setup.
What each bill actually is, and who charges it
Nobody explains this before you sign a tenancy. Here is each bill in a line: what it pays for, what drives the price, and whether you get any choice about it.
- Council tax pays for local services and is charged per property rather than per person, by your local council. England's average Band D bill is £2,392 a year for 2026/27. Councils bill it over ten months by default, so budget about £239 a month rather than £199, and ask for twelve instalments if you would rather spread it. One adult living alone gets 25% off, and a household where everyone is a full-time student pays nothing, though you have to apply for that rather than ignore the bill.
- Water comes from whichever company covers your address and you cannot choose a different one. You either pay a fixed charge based on the property's rateable value, or, if the home has a meter, for what you actually use.
- Energy means gas and electricity, and it is one of the two bills where you choose the supplier. Unlike broadband you do not start with that choice, because you inherit whoever supplied the property before you, which is why it has its own section below.
- Broadband is the only bill with a waiting list. Installation can take weeks where an engineer is needed, so it is the first thing to order even though it is usually the last to start working.
- A TV Licence costs £180 a year from 1 April 2026, about £15 a month, and you need one if anyone in the house watches or records live television or uses BBC iPlayer. Watching on-demand services other than iPlayer does not need one.
Sources: GOV.UK: Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England, 2026 to 2027 (read 1 September 2026); TV Licensing: the cost of a TV Licence (read 1 September 2026)
Setting up gas and electricity for the first time
This is the bill first-time renters find hardest, for two reasons. You never choose the supplier you start with, and the price is made of two separate numbers rather than one.
- You do not pick your first supplier. Whoever supplied the property before you carries on supplying it, and you are billed on what is called a deemed contract from the day you take responsibility for the place.
- A deemed tariff is a standard variable tariff, and Ofgem states that default and deemed tariffs are usually among a supplier's most expensive.
- Your price is two numbers. A standing charge is a fixed daily amount you pay even in a week you use nothing, and a unit rate is what you pay per kWh on top of it. Two tariffs can have the same unit rate and still cost differently.
- The price cap limits both of those numbers on a default tariff. It does not cap your bill, because your bill also depends on how much you use.
- You are free to move. A deemed tariff has no fixed term, so there is normally no exit fee, and a switch usually takes up to 5 working days once you have chosen.
- Photograph the meters on the day you move in. That reading is the line between the previous occupier's usage and yours, and it is the single thing that stops a wrong first bill.
Sources: Ofgem: switch energy supplier (read 1 September 2026)
Setting up energy at a new address?
The cap limits unit rates and standing charges, not your total bill, so what you pay still depends on what you use. It rises about 4% on 1 October. If you move in before then you start on today's rates and they reset underneath you, usually before your first bill arrives. For a typical dual-fuel home paying by direct debit that is £1,935 a year from October against £1,862 now, or £1,723 against £1,663 on Ofgem's own consumption basis.
Do it yourself or let Taupia guide you
You can set up each bill yourself, or use Taupia to organise the process, compare your options and keep everything together.
Doing it yourself
- Find each provider separately
- Work out which bills you can compare
- Complete setup with each provider
- Keep track of contracts and renewals yourself
With Taupia
- One personalised checklist for your home
- We compare your property's current energy rate with available market deals
- See recommended options and choose what suits you
- Keep bills, provider updates and next steps together afterwards
You can also set bills up directly with providers, use comparison sites for individual quotes, or choose bundled bill services. Taupia brings setup, comparison and ongoing bill management into one place.
Questions most new renters ask
What bills are first-time renters usually responsible for?
Usually council tax, water, energy, and broadband, plus mobile if you are reviewing your contract. Exact responsibility depends on what your rent includes.
Can my landlord stop me switching energy?
If you pay the supplier directly, switching is usually allowed. Some tenancy agreements still require notification or supplier handback when you leave.
Should I set up broadband before move-in day?
If installation may be required, yes. Early booking reduces the chance of living without internet during your first weeks.
Do I need a TV Licence as a renter?
You typically need one if you watch live TV or use BBC iPlayer. If you only use non-live on-demand services, requirements can differ.
What is the biggest setup mistake for first-time renters?
Opening accounts before confirming what is included in rent, then paying for services that should have been covered.
What bills do I need to set up when renting for the first time?
Usually council tax, water, energy, and broadband, plus a TV Licence if you'll watch live TV. Check your tenancy agreement first, since some or all of these can already be included in rent.
Who supplies my gas and electricity when I move in?
Whoever supplied the property before you moved in, not necessarily who you'd choose. Check a recent bill or ask the landlord to confirm, then decide whether to stay on that tariff or switch, which usually takes up to 5 working days.
How do I set up bills in a shared student house?
The setup steps are the same as any rental, but you'll also need to agree how to split shared costs. Use Taupia's housemate split calculator to check a fair split for your house.
How do I set up gas and electricity for the first time?
Find out who already supplies the address, then open an account in your name using your tenancy start date and a photograph of the meters. You do not pick the supplier at this stage, because you inherit whoever was serving the property, and you are free to compare and switch afterwards, which usually takes up to 5 working days.
Pages worth opening next
Use these to move from setup to ongoing bill control.
Start here
Set up gas and electric in a new home
RecommendedThe bill you actually get a choice on, in full: readings, the supplier you inherit, and the tariff.
Move-in bills checklist
Once you know what each bill is, this is the order to do them in, keyed to your move date.
Split bills with housemates
Set fair household rules before the first full billing month.
Does the price cap apply when you move in?
You start on the existing supplier's deemed tariff, and the cap changes on 1 October.
Compare mobile prices
Review mobile contracts if your renewal timing is close.
Compare energy supplier options
Check available energy tariffs before default rates settle in.
Manage your bills after setup
One place for renewal dates, each housemate's share, and who has actually paid.
Ready to sort your new-home bills?
Get your personalised setup for your new address.