What does uncapped energy mean and is it worth it?

When you’re a student, budgeting can be tricky. Between paying for society nights out, trying to curb your takeaway spending, and making sure you have enough left to pay your household bills, it can feel like you’re juggling a lot.  

It doesn’t help when your electricity bills change from month to month, making it impossible to know how much to budget. With electricity bills still high, you’re starting to wonder if an unlimited electricity plan might be the better option.  

The experts at Split The Bills have put together this guide to help you understand what uncapped energy means and if an uncapped plan is right for your shared house. We’ll go over what an uncapped electricity plan is, the pros and cons of choosing one, and what to look for. 

What does uncapped energy mean?

An uncapped or unlimited energy tariff is exactly what it sounds like – a plan that lets you use as much electricity as you want for a fee!  

Unlike typical electricity plans, where you pay per unit of electricity you use (often plus a fixed daily standing charge), you’ll pay the same amount regardless of the amount of energy you use. There’s no need to worry about how much electricity you’re using or fluctuating energy bills, giving you peace of mind about your household bills. 

Is an uncapped energy plan a good idea?

Ultimately, it will be up to you and your housemates to decide if an uncapped plan is the right option for your house. That being said, many students opt for these plans as they recognise that the amount you use in the colder seasons may be considerably higher.  

Below, we’ll go over some of the pros and cons to help you make your decision. 

Advantages of an uncapped electricity plan

  • Uncapped electricity. The most obvious benefit of this kind of plan is that you can use as much electricity as you like, without stressing about how much it will cost. 
  • Spread the cost out over the year. Because your plan doesn’t fluctuate based on usage, you won’t be charged more in the months when you use more power (such as winter and during term time). 
  • Easier to budget. Knowing how much you’ll need for the entire year makes it much easier to budget and keep track of your finances.  
  • No arguing with your housemates about their energy usage. This is the main reason why uncapped plans are so popular in shared student houses. It doesn’t matter if one of your housemates always forgets to turn off the lights or takes longer showers – your monthly bill will stay the same.

Disadvantages of an uncapped electricity plan

  • Unlimited can be more expensive. If you’re really budget-conscious and prepared to limit your energy usage, an uncapped energy plan might not be right for you. However, you’ll need to make sure your housemates are also prepared to cut back their energy use to save money. Otherwise, there’ll likely be lots of arguments and a tense living environment. Plus, you might not save any money after all! 
  • The planet. Just because plans are uncapped, doesn’t mean that you should use more energy. You should remember that all the energy you use affects the planet, and this should always be taken into consideration. Our advice – be green and only use what you need! 

How to get an uncapped electricity plan

When it comes to choosing the right uncapped energy package for your student house, there are a couple of things you’ll need to consider: 

  • Check your electricity is actually uncapped. Some energy suppliers put caps on their ‘unlimited’ deals to make them seem better than they are. 
  • Make sure there are no management fees or hidden set-up costs in your unlimited energy deal, which will increase the overall cost of your plan.  
  • Look at student bill specialists like Split The Bills. They’ll be used to working with students and splitting bills in shared houses.  

Uncapped energy plans by Split The Bills

Now that you know what uncapped energy means, it’s time to consider splitting your bills. Split The Bills offers a bill-splitting service for students and young professionals living in shared houses.

We offer uncapped electricity and gas plans so that you never have to worry about your usage, and you know exactly how much your bills will be each month. Our team will handle all the set-up on your behalf. All you’ll need to do is pay one neat monthly bill, no matter how much energy you use!

You can personalise your bills package to include gas, electricity, water, and even your TV licence, depending on the needs of your house. There are no hidden setup or maintenance fees, and your monthly bills will be split among your housemates automatically.

If you want a hassle-free way to handle bills in your shared house, find out more about what we do or get in touch with our team! 

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