The benefits of fully inclusive rents

Most of Unipol’s houses charge a rent that includes personal possessions insurance, internet, utilities (gas, electricity and water) costs and a TV (and licence if the TV is provided by Unipol).

If in doubt then check your contract to see what is included in the rent for your property.

How inclusive rents work with energy

An inclusive rent covers energy costs. We allow a certain portion from your rent per week  based on the size of your property to cover the cost of the energy you use. This anticipated level of usage should be enough for you to be warm and comfortable in your house and is based on responsible use. 

Bills are inclusive, not unlimited. It is the tenants reponsibility to use their energy sustainably and reasonably. 

To help you know how much energy you are using, we take meter readings on a monthly basis and give you a statement at key points during the year. This statement is a graphic that compares your usage to previous years. In cold months, you use more energy than warmer months so it is necessary to take into account seasonal usage in making comparisons

It looks like this:

Remember, that although bills may be included, usage is not unlimited! Everyone needs to do their part to live sustainably and reduce their carbon footprint. Here are a few ways you can use energy sustainably:

Top ways to save energy

1. Make sure you know how to operate your heating and hot water - do not just guess. If you need help give us a ring and we can come out and show you how it all works properly. You can find guides on how to operate your boiler here.
   
   
2. There is a thermostatic valve on your room radiator so that you can individually adjust the heating in each room. If you go away for a couple of days, turn the thermostat right down so you are not heating an empty room. You can see how to use these here.
   
   
3. Most houses also have a house thermostat, work out what this needs to be set to in order to ensure the house is warm. If your room is cold but others are too hot (a sun facing room or a larger room makes a big difference) turn the thermostat up a degree and have your house mates turn their radiator thermostats down.
   
   
4. Try to avoid having the heating on and windows open, otherwise you'll just be contributing to global warming! 
    
5. You should never need any additional electrical heaters (and they consume huge amounts of energy). If you are still cold when the heating is on, something is wrong so let us know.
   
   
6. Turn off the lights when you leave a room (leave a single light on when everyone is out to deter burglars).