Utilities company offering households chance to become bill free.
Housemates in Birmingham will be given the chance to live free of household bills for an entire year. It comes as research by Birmingham-based utilities company Glide, revealed money troubles dominate relationships between housemates in the UK with 45 per cent of people living together admitting to falling out over paying the bills. And, just under a quarter (24 per cent) have had to pay extra because a housemate has not paid their fair share of the household bills, according to research.
The survey of housemates across the UK, including in Birmingham also revealed that a quarter (24 per cent spent) more than half their income covering bills such as gas, electricity and water. A further 30 per cent of housemates said that rent and bills costs them up to a third of their income.
And while just under a third (32 per cent) of those surveyed said meeting rent and bills worry them the most, more than half (56 per cent) said work/study pressures was the biggest stress in their life. What’s more, 81 per cent of those surveyed by Glide say they move rental property every 12 months.
When asked what they would spend the spare cash on if their household bills were covered for a year, a staggering 82 per cent said they would use the money to pay off debts. Just eight per cent said they would splash out on a huge house party, while six per cent would give the money to charity.
James Villarreal, co-founder at Glide, which today launches a competition for housemates in Birmingham to win free bills for a year, worth £3,000, said: “Housemates across the UK are arguing about money, which is leading to unnecessary conflict and stress, especially when one tenant doesn’t pay their fair share. It’s easy to see why so many housemates – 81 per cent of those surveyed – end up moving every 12 months.
“It’s very telling how budget conscious we’ve become with the higher costs of living that when questioned about how they would spend the money if their their bills were paid for a year, those taking the survey would pay off debts”.
The survey also discovered that price is the single biggest factor (52 per cent) when deciding on which property to rent, with tenants putting its importance above both location and facilities.
Meanwhile 25 per cent said that the bedroom was the most important part of the property they were looking to rent, putting that above kitchen, living area and even Wi-Fi, with 40 per cent viewing up to five properties before deciding on which one to rent.
To enter, visit www.glide.co.uk/housemates.