All-inclusive vs not inclusive: which is better for students?

What is all-inclusive student living?

All-inclusive living is when your rent and bills are combined. The most common bills that are covered in all-inclusive are:

  • Internet
  • Electric
  • Gas
  • Water

Sometimes you will also get your television licence covered too. Although often landlords will leave that up to the tenants.

All-inclusive student bills means that you will have one payment for rent and amenities.

You will often find all-inclusive living for students in halls of residents.

Bills not included in your rent price?

Split The Bills bundles your choice of the bills into one easy payment. Avoid the awkward bill chat with your housemates, go spend more time enjoying student life!

  • Your choice of energy, superfast broadband, water and a TV licence.
  • Pay the same fixed amount every month and don’t worry about bills.
  • Avoid arguments by everyone paying the same share.
  • We set up the utilities for your house – so sit back, and relax.
  • Less time worrying about bills = more time to enjoy being a student.
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What is non-inclusive student living?

The opposite of all-inclusive. You pay rent to the landlord and pay the bills to your various suppliers.

Pros of bills inclusive

  • One payment – One bill means there’s no headache with having to juggle direct debits, missed payments and different payment dates.
  • No chasing – Because you’re not sharing bills with your housemates, you’re just responsible for your own payment. This means any lazy housemates will be dealt with by the landlords, not you.
  • Save time – Because the contracts to energy, internet and gas suppliers are already pre-agreed, there’s no need for you to hunt for the best deals.

Cons of Bills Inclusive

  • Costly – generally when accommodation is bills inclusive, the price is considerably higher. This is because landlords often will make deals with suppliers which benefit both of them, and less so the students. You are essentially paying for convenience, not a good deal.
  • Lack of choice – You will be tied into whoever the landlord decided is your supplier. If you’re stuck with a bad service with any of them, there’s no way to get out.
  • Can’t save money – Let’s be honest, as a student you’re not going to be flush with cash. When living non-inclusive you can often find ways to save a bit of money (not using heating etc.) – however, with bills inclusive, you do not have the choice.

Pros of non-inclusive

  • Cheaper – Spend some time hunting around you’ll be certain to find a better price than bills inclusive. You’ll also be playing directly to the supplier, rather than through the landlord who could be taking an extra cut.
  • Plenty of choice – The world’s your oyster when it comes to suppliers. Let them tempt you with some great deals.
  • Ability to save money – Running a bit low on cash? Save some money by keeping the heating off, or switching the lights off. You get the choice, unlike with bills inclusive.

Cons of non-inclusive

  • Time consuming – hunting for the right supplier can be a pain, and can take up a lot of time in order to find the right deal.
  • Potential conflict – Having to chase housemates around to pay the bills can cause some awkward conversations/arguments. Make sure you live with someone you trust.
  • Multiple payments ­– You will need to organise payments for all your suppliers – which could add up to 6 bills all-in-all!

The best of both worlds

When it comes to bills you want convenience, you want great deals and you want to save yourself some awkward conversations. We here at Split The Bills can give you all of that. We take the stress away from bills. You simply sign up to us and we find the best deals for you. Each housemate is responsible for their own part of the bills, and if they don’t pay, we’ll talk to them. See – stress free! With Split The Bills, you get:
  • One payment for your bills (excluding rent)
  • No standing charges
  • No more arguing with your housemates
  • Great deals on energy
Split The Bills Logo - Shared Billing Sorted For Students.

Why stop here? We make bills for students easy.

Electricity. Gas. Broadband. Water. TV Licence.
All in one equally split monthly bill. Nice.

Learn More

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Ways to pay your student bills: joint bank accounts

Guide to student bill sharing and bill splitting

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