Student bills in Brighton and Hove: energy, water and council tax

• ✓Ofgem's postcode lookup puts central Brighton and Hove postcodes, including BN1, BN2 and BN3, in the South East England region.
• ✓Direct Debit, 1 October to 31 December 2026: electricity 26.88p per kWh with a 52.32p daily standing charge, and gas 8.05p per kWh with a 29.26p daily standing charge.
• ✓Prepayment meter: electricity 26.06p per kWh with a 52.32p daily standing charge, and gas 7.78p per kWh with a 29.26p daily standing charge.
• ✓Ofgem says the cap limits these rates, not the total bill: the more energy you use, the higher your bill. A fixed tariff follows its own rates instead.
• ✓Electricity rates are for single-rate meters. Multi-rate tariffs such as Economy 7 have their own capped rates on Ofgem's page.

Sources: Ofgem: price cap rates by region, with its postcode lookup (read 13 October 2026); Ofgem: energy price cap and standing charges explained (read 13 October 2026)

• ✓Ofgem's typical consumption is 2,500 kWh of electricity and 9,500 kWh of gas a year. At the South East England Direct Debit rates, with a standing charge for all 365 days, that is about £1,735 a year: £863 for electricity and £872 for gas.
• ✓Shared by three: about £578 each a year, or £48.18 a month.
• ✓Shared by four: about £434 each a year, or £36.14 a month.
• ✓Shared by five: about £347 each a year, or £28.91 a month.
• ✓The same usage on a prepayment meter comes to about £1,688 a year at the South East England prepayment rates.
• ✓These figures assume a default tariff, single-rate electricity and a full year at the October to December 2026 rates, although Ofgem sets the cap every 3 months. A house of three to five adults usually uses more than one typical household, so treat them as a starting point, not a forecast.

Sources: Ofgem: price cap rates by region, with its postcode lookup (read 13 October 2026); Ofgem: typical domestic consumption values decision, May 2026 (PDF) (read 13 October 2026); Ofgem: energy price cap and standing charges explained (read 13 October 2026)

• ✓Southern Water's water resources plan review includes a Sussex Brighton supply zone, and it says its Peacehaven works treats all of Brighton's sewage.
• ✓If the house has a water meter, Southern Water says to take a reading as soon as you move in, so the bill reflects your usage.
• ✓In England and Wales, students usually pay for water unless it is included in the rent. Citizens Advice says a tenant either has a water bill in their own name or pays for water as part of the rent, so check the tenancy agreement.
• ✓Water UK's postcode checker names the water and the waste water company for an exact address. CCW says a few specific sites are served by another licensed company instead of the usual one.

Sources: Southern Water: water resources management plan annual review (PDF) (read 13 October 2026); Southern Water: Brighton's super sewer (read 13 October 2026); Southern Water: how to set up your water bill in a new house (read 13 October 2026); CCW: find your water company (read 13 October 2026); Citizens Advice: paying your water bills if you're renting (read 13 October 2026); Water UK: find your supplier (read 13 October 2026)

• ✓GOV.UK says households where everyone is a full-time student do not have to pay council tax, and that you can apply for an exemption if you get a bill. To count, a course must last at least 1 year and involve at least 21 hours of study a week.
• ✓If someone in the household is not a full-time student, GOV.UK says you will get a bill but might still qualify for a discount: 25% off if everyone else in the home is disregarded, as full-time students are.
• ✓Brighton & Hove City Council says every student household must register for council tax before applying. If everyone is a full-time student, nobody pays during your course dates, which it checks with your place of study; outside those dates council tax is due.
• ✓If one person is not a full-time student, they pay the whole bill, with a 25% discount if everyone else is a full-time student. With two or more, they pay in full.

Sources: Brighton & Hove City Council: Council Tax discounts for students (read 13 October 2026); GOV.UK: Council Tax discounts for full-time students (read 13 October 2026); GOV.UK: who has to pay Council Tax (read 13 October 2026)

• ✓Broadband: one contract for the house is usual. Agree whose name it goes in, and match the minimum term to the tenancy so nobody pays after the house moves out.
• ✓TV Licence: GOV.UK says one licence covers the household if you have a joint tenancy agreement, but with separate tenancy agreements anyone who watches TV in their own room needs their own. A licence costs £180.
• ✓Empty weeks: Ofgem says a standing charge is paid every day, even when you use no energy. At the South East England Direct Debit rates, electricity and gas standing charges come to 81.58p a day, about £17.13 over a 21-day Christmas break before any energy is used.

Sources: GOV.UK: TV Licence (read 13 October 2026); Ofgem: energy price cap and standing charges explained (read 13 October 2026)