Bills in an empty student house over Christmas and summer
Short answer
Most bills keep running in an empty house. Ofgem says standing charges are paid every day, and its October to December 2026 Direct Debit averages put gas and electricity standing charges at 84.51p a day together. Rent, broadband and unmetered water carry on too. Switch off what you can, take dated readings and agree the split before anyone leaves.
Updated
84.51p
a day in gas and electricity standing charges, October to December 2026
£17.75
in standing charges over a 21-day Christmas break
£4.44
each when four housemates share that £17.75
Going home for Christmas or the summer does not stop the bills. This guide covers what keeps charging, what standing charges cost a day, council tax and water while you are away, whether broadband can pause, and a fair way to split the house's costs when one person stays.
What keeps billing in an empty student house?
| Bill | While the house is empty | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Energy standing charges | 84.51p a day at Ofgem's October to December 2026 averages | Nothing: Ofgem says they are paid every day |
| Energy usage | Only what is left switched on | Switch off, and take dated readings |
| Water on a meter | The standing charge, plus anything used | Read the meter as you leave and as you return |
| Water without a meter | The same as when you are there | Nothing while the home is unmetered |
| Broadband | Usually the full monthly price | Ask the provider whether it offers a pause |
| Council tax | Nothing, if everyone is a full-time student | Tell the council if anyone's student status changes |
| Rent | Due as normal | Nothing: the tenancy sets it |
Which bills keep running when the house is empty?
Anything with a daily or monthly charge keeps billing, whether or not anyone is home.
- Energy: Ofgem says a standing charge is paid every day, even on a day when you use no energy at all.
- Water: CCW says an unmetered bill is based on the value of the property, so it does not fall while nobody is there. A metered bill is the water you use plus a standing charge.
- Broadband: a contract keeps billing each month. Citizens Advice says leaving early usually means a cancellation fee, unless the contract has ended or another exception it lists applies.
- Council tax: GOV.UK says a household where everyone is a full-time student does not have to pay. A few weeks away does not change who lives there.
- Rent: the tenancy sets it, and being away does not change it.
Sources: Ofgem: energy price cap and standing charges explained (read 13 October 2026); CCW: how is my water bill calculated? (read 13 October 2026); Citizens Advice: cancelling a phone, TV, internet or mobile contract (read 13 October 2026); GOV.UK: Council Tax discounts for full-time students (read 13 October 2026)
How much do standing charges cost while you are away?
Ofgem's average Direct Debit standing charges for 1 October to 31 December 2026, across England, Scotland and Wales.
- Electricity: 54.83p a day. Gas: 29.68p a day. Together: 84.51p a day, or £5.92 a week.
- A 21-day Christmas break costs £17.75 in standing charges before any energy is used. Split four ways, that is £4.44 each.
- These are averages for default tariffs paid by Direct Debit. Ofgem says levels vary with factors including where you live, and a fixed tariff follows its own rates.
- The October to December rates end on 31 December 2026. Ofgem sets the cap every 3 months, so a break that runs into January can span two cap periods.
- Ofgem's figures are averages across England, Scotland and Wales, so they do not apply in Northern Ireland.
Sources: Ofgem: price cap changes, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (read 13 October 2026); Ofgem: energy price cap (read 13 October 2026); Ofgem: energy price cap and standing charges explained (read 13 October 2026)
What should you do before the house empties?
Five jobs before the last person leaves, so the next bill is not a guess.
- 1
Take dated meter readings
Photograph the electricity, gas and any water meter on the day the last person leaves, with the date and the meter serial number in view. Do it again on the day the first person returns.
- 2
Switch off what you do not need
Turn off and unplug chargers, screens, games consoles and any plug-in heaters. If everyone is leaving, empty the fridge and agree whether to switch it off.
- 3
Leave the heating as the tenancy asks
Before turning the heating off for a winter break, check what your tenancy agreement or landlord expects, and ask if it is not written down.
- 4
Agree the split in writing
Decide before anyone leaves how fixed costs and usage will be shared for the weeks away, and what a housemate who stays will pay for.
- 5
Tell the council about any change
GOV.UK says a household where everyone is a full-time student does not pay council tax, and that a household with someone who is not gets a bill. If someone finishes their course or a non-student moves in, tell the council.
Sources: GOV.UK: Council Tax discounts for full-time students (read 13 October 2026)
Do students pay council tax over Christmas and summer?
Not while everyone in the household is still a full-time student. The risk is a gap between two courses.
- GOV.UK says households where everyone is a full-time student do not have to pay council tax. To count, a course must last at least 1 year and involve at least 21 hours of study a week.
- If you do get a bill, GOV.UK says you can apply for an exemption.
- Citizens Advice says you might be liable for council tax in a gap between two different courses, because the gap falls outside both of them.
- In Scotland, mygov.scot says a full-time student over 20 studies at least 21 hours a week on a course lasting at least 24 weeks a year. In Wales, the Welsh Government says a home occupied only by full-time students is exempt.
Sources: GOV.UK: Council Tax discounts for full-time students (read 13 October 2026); Citizens Advice: council tax and student housing (read 13 October 2026); mygov.scot: Council Tax discounts, exemptions and reductions (read 13 October 2026); Welsh Government: Council Tax discounts, disregards, exemptions and reductions (read 13 October 2026)
Does the water bill drop when nobody is home?
Only if the house has a water meter.
- CCW says a metered bill is the water you use plus a standing charge, so the usage part falls while the standing charge carries on.
- An unmetered bill is based on the value of the property, CCW says, so it stays the same.
- In Scotland, mygov.scot says water and sewerage are included in the council tax bill, and Scottish Water says full-time students are exempt from household water and waste water charges.
- In Northern Ireland, households get no water bill: NI Water's 2026/27 charges refer to the continuing deferment of domestic charges.
Sources: CCW: how is my water bill calculated? (read 13 October 2026); mygov.scot: public water and sewerage services (read 13 October 2026); Scottish Water: your charges 2026 to 2027 (read 13 October 2026); NI Water: 2026/27 charges announcement (read 13 October 2026)
Can you pause broadband for the summer?
Only if your provider offers it.
- A pause is your provider's decision, so ask before you rely on one and get it confirmed in writing.
- Citizens Advice says you can cancel free within 14 days if you signed up by phone or online. After that, leaving early usually means a cancellation fee unless the contract has ended or another exception applies.
- When you sign, match the minimum term to the tenancy, so nobody is paying for broadband after the house has moved out.
Sources: Citizens Advice: cancelling a phone, TV, internet or mobile contract (read 13 October 2026)
How do you split fixed costs fairly when some people stay?
Share what the house would pay anyway. Adjust only what the person staying adds.
- Standing charges, rent, broadband and unmetered water are the cost of keeping the house. A fair default is to keep splitting them as normal.
- Usage is the part to adjust. With readings from the day the house empties and the day it refills, the person who stayed can pay for the units used in between.
- At Ofgem's October to December 2026 Direct Debit averages, a unit costs 26.32p per kWh of electricity and 7.97p per kWh of gas.
- Agree whether the whole house shares a small baseline for the fridge and frost protection, so the person staying is not paying alone to keep the house safe.
- Worked example: over 21 days, £17.75 of standing charges split four ways is £4.44 each. If the person staying used 60 kWh of electricity, they add £15.79 at 26.32p per kWh.
Sources: Ofgem: price cap changes, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (read 13 October 2026)
Questions about bills while the house is empty
Do we still pay energy bills if nobody is in the house?
Yes, for the standing charges at least. Ofgem says a standing charge is paid every day, even if you use no energy. At Ofgem's October to December 2026 Direct Debit averages, gas and electricity standing charges together come to 84.51p a day, or £17.75 over a three-week break.
Should the housemate who stays over Christmas pay more?
Usually only for what they add. Standing charges, rent and broadband would be paid anyway, so a fair default is to keep sharing those as normal. Take readings when the house empties and when it refills, and the person who stayed pays for the units used in between, less any baseline the house agreed to share.
Can we turn the heating off when the house is empty in winter?
Check your tenancy agreement and ask your landlord first. Your agreement may say how the property must be kept while you are away, and a burst pipe in an empty house can cause costly damage. If nothing is written down, agree a setting with your landlord in writing before you leave.
Do students pay council tax over the summer?
Not if everyone in the household is still a full-time student, because GOV.UK says those households do not have to pay. Citizens Advice says you might be liable in a gap between two different courses, so check the dates if anyone is finishing one course and starting another.
Can we pause broadband for the summer holidays?
Only if your provider offers it, so ask before you rely on it. Citizens Advice says that once the 14-day cooling-off period has passed, leaving a contract early usually means a cancellation fee unless the contract has ended. Matching the contract to the tenancy is the simplest protection.
Will energy prices change during a Christmas break?
They can if the break runs into January. Ofgem sets the price cap every 3 months, and its October to December 2026 rates end on 31 December. A fixed tariff follows its own agreed rates instead, so check which kind of tariff the house is on before you leave.
More help for student houses
Splitting, council tax and water, for the rest of the year.
Start here
Split bills fairly with housemates
RecommendedFair rules for fixed costs and usage, with a per-person calculator.
Student council tax exemption
Who counts as a full-time student, and how to claim the exemption.
Do students pay water bills?
Water rules for students in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Average bills in a house share
Official averages per person for 2, 3, 4 and 5 sharers.
Taupia for student houses
How a student house sets up and splits its bills in one place.
Keep the holiday split straight
Taupia splits each bill by your house's rule and shows who has paid their share. It moves no money, and it is free.