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When moving into your first or 13th home, you always must pay energy bills. But trying to be more energy efficient is also an excellent way of doing your bit to helping to save the climate. When consuming less power, the amount of toxic fumes released by power plants is also reduced. We have written down tips how you can do this.
1. Check if you are using the cheapest energy supplier.
If you feel like your energy bills are always more expensive than your neighbours’, you might want to think about comparing the energy suppliers. It might be possible for you to save around £200 in a year by just simply switching from a standard or default tariff set at the level of the price cap to the cheapest deal.
Also, some companies charge you for the paper bill that is sent to you. Change your paper bills to e-version and pay by direct debit as it is often cheaper than paying individual paper bills.
2. Install heating control
It is so much easier to manage your energy consumption with these when you can decide how hot your property is to be and which rooms might need more heating than others. Also, just cutting the heat level by 1ºC can save you £55 a year. Overall, installing heating control saves on average £70 per year.
It is also a luxury if you have a smart thermostat that you can use on your smartphone and heat your home remotely, so it is nice and warm when you enter.
3. Replace light bulbs with energy-saving versions
A LED light bulb can save up to £180 during its lifetime compared to an old-style light bulb. LED light bulbs use 90% or less energy than traditional light bulbs and therefore last longer and are cheaper.
But changing light bulbs does not do much if you keep all your lights on in every room all the time. Do not forget to turn off the lights when you leave the room.
4. Do not let the cold air get in.
Especially in older properties, there are more draughts than new ones and therefore heating the apartment might be more expensive. Keeping the small draughts away by adding brush or hinged-flap draught excluders on the bottom of doors and use draught-proofing strips around the window frame can make miracles.
5. Use energy-efficient appliances
By checking the EU energy-efficiency rating, you know which appliance is best rated and will save you the most money. Did you know that just swapping the washing machine to a more energy-efficient version can save you up to £48 a year?
6. Turn off the shower when you are applying washing products
Avoiding using water “unnecessarily” is just common sense. For example, when you shower or wash your hands, turn off the tap when you are applying the handwash or shampoo or just brushing your teeth. It might seem like a small amount of water, but if everyone in the UK started doing that, a lot of water could be saved.
There are many reasons we should be saving water, such as minimising water shortages as we need to remember that the population and industry grow. Another reason is simply to maintain the cost of water low and minimise the possibility of political conflicts over water.
We hope that these tips can help you save some money on your energy bills. If you are a property owner and need help with property management, we at Cloud Estates are happy to help. Give us a call or visit our website to read more about our services.
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Are you wondering where you should move in Newcastle? We have created a brief introduction of all most typical student areas with our favourite coffee shops.
Heaton
Heaton is considered as a trendy and recently increasingly student- area. There is plenty of independent coffee shops opening all the time in there. It is also reasonably close to Newcastle City Centre with good transportation connections, so older undergraduate students, postgraduates and recently graduated like living in Heaton.
The area is not that far from the popular Jesmond Dene either, and it has its own Heaton Park, where there is a chance to go for a run and visit some outdoor events.
The properties in Heaton are beautiful Victorian and Edwardian homes, and the area is generally quieter than Jesmond and Sandyford, which are increasingly full of student properties. In addition, due to its distance from City Centre, the level of rent is generally lower than City Centre's.
A few of the recommendations of coffee shops in Heaton are:
- Heaton Perk Coffee Shop
- Butterfly Cabinet
Jesmond
This area is the heart of students in Newcastle. Jesmond is full of lovely coffee shops, restaurants, pubs, and bars. It is considered the most fashionable districts and energetic in Newcastle, so it is increasingly attractive to students. You can see how the streets are busy all day from early hours until late at night. Several businesses have their head office in Jesmond as it is located close to Central Newcastle.
There is something for everyone in Jesmond: from quiet coffee shops, hairdressers, shopping in cute boutique shops, nearby Jesmond Dene Park to a vibrant nightlife.
However, Jesmond is also a home for families who live in the beautiful historic Georgian and Victorian properties. The level of rent is reasonably high in Jesmond due to its popularity, so students and young professionals can expect to pay on average £800 for a 2-bedroom flat and £1300 for 3-bedroom apartments.
Here is a short list of our coffee shop recommendations in Jesmond, although there is many more to find:
- Local NCL
- The 1901 (good vegetarian / vegan options)
- Cake Stories
Quayside
It is a beautiful location full of coffee shops and a nightlife hotspot with stylish bars, restaurants, and clubs. It is located close to City Centre, and universities and all the shops and therefore makes an excellent place to live for students. Quayside also has its own Sunday market, which attracts people from all around Newcastle to enjoy street food and local crafts.
Quayside is also close to the Newcastle Metro Radio Arena, which hosts music events and concerts.
The area is full of lovely coffee shops, bars and restaurants but here is a short list of our favourites:
- The great British Cupcakery
- Violets Café
- Pitcher & Piano
Central Newcastle
Naturally, all the most popular bars, clubs and shops are in the Newcastle city centre. You will find everything you need from here as the city centre is full of activities. This is an excellent place for a person who likes living in the middle of the action and does not mind a bit of background noise from the pub downstairs.
If you like shopping, Eldon Square serves your needs and all the shops in Northumberland Street and surrounding areas. Furthermore, you will find more “expensive” shops such as Boss, End., Ted Baker and The White Company. Mosley Street is a famous bar street and is packed with students at nights.
To continue with the coffee shop theme, here is a list of our favourite places in Central Newcastle:
- Pink Lane
- Yolo Coffee Shop
- Waterstones Coffee Shop (upstairs)
Ouseburn
This area is considered as the pumping heart of the North East's creative economy. It has hidden gems all around it and especially the coffee shops, restaurants, and bars. Many artists, musicians and designers call Ouseburn their home. There is also a fascinating Victoria Tunnel guided tour, an old underground wagonway used to transport coal.
There are also several new buildings and renovated flats around Ouseburn, which has made the area trendy and attractive to students. In addition, the site is only a 16 minutes’ walk away from the Newcastle City Centre and has excellent transportation connections.
A few of our favourite coffee shops in Ouseburn are:
- Kiln
- Ouseburn Coffee Co.
- Dreamworld Cakes Patisserie
Sandyford
In Sandyford, you are only a short walk away from the university and will never miss a good night out. Sandyford is ideally located between City Centre, Jesmond, Heaton, and Ouseburn – it is close to everything! You will get the best-hidden gems, including beer gardens and very close to Jesmond Dene – a popular park between Jesmond and Gosforth.
Sandyford is heavily populated by students, so you can be pretty sure to live close to your friends. However, it is quieter than Jesmond and Heaton as an area. It is also excellent value for money and has one of the most affordable private student housing in Newcastle.
We love to visit especially these coffee shops in Sandyford:
- Café Oasis
- Aidan’s Kitchen
- The Carriage
Gateshead
Gateshead is located on the other side of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle. Even though it is on the other side, it is still close to Newcastle City Centre and therefore makes an excellent place for students to live. It has a large supermarket, a movie theatre, coffee shops and small independent shops for everyone.
Some of the best areas to live in Gateshead are Low Fell, Saltwell Park, Lobley Hill, Ryton, Whickham and Eighton Banks. Baltic Temporary Museum and Tyne Bridge are some of the most beautiful landmarks in Gateshead, right next to River Tyne.
The coffee shops you must visit in Gateshead are:
- The Staiths Coffee
- Saltmarsh Coffee
- Café Dominic’s
Hopefully, you have found inspiration for your home hunt. To view all the available properties in Newcastle, visit available properties on our website.
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Are you applying to a university in Newcastle or looking for an alternative for the halls- type of living? We got you covered! It is typical for all freshers (aka first-year students) to live in a university's student accommodation and move to a private flat after the first year.
We in Cloud Estates offer excellent variety of rental flats in all around Newcastle to all students, young professionals and others.
University accommodation
These are an excellent option for first-year students and exchange students as you get to meet other students in the halls and make immediately new friends. The university accommodations are also located right at the centre of Newcastle. You will be close to the university, pubs and bars in addition to most of the other social events. Northumbria University offers hall-based living in Glenamara House, Lovaine Hall, Camden Court and Winn Studios and elsewhere, whereas Newcastle University has accommodations such as Castle Leazes, Kensington Terrace, Park View and Windsor Terrace. Whether you are accepted to either university, there will be accommodations available.
(photos from Newcastle University & Northumbria University webpages)
Private Letting
After the first year of university, most students move into rental flats into Newcastle City Centre, Sandyford, Jesmond, Quayside or Gateshead to live with their closest friends from the first year. These areas are excellent for students who wish to live close to universities and "action" but do not want to share their bathroom and kitchen with strangers anymore. These areas are only 1-2 metro strops away from Central Newcastle and are full of good coffee shops, restaurants, bars and activities. If you are interested in these areas, look out for flats from NE1, NE2, NE4 and NE8.
Professional Letting
Most postgraduate students and recently graduated individuals who wish to stay in Newcastle are often located in Heaton and Gosforth. These areas are further away from universities and City Centre and do not attract that many undergraduate students. These areas are quieter and therefore ideal for people who do not wish to live next to loud students. Getting to central Newcastle from these areas is relatively fast and easy as, for example, it takes only 5-10 minutes to travel from South Gosforth to Haymarket via metro.
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There are several obligations for landlords that may take a lot of time and energy to get sorted before renting is possible. Therefore, we have created a short checklist of the critical things landlords must handle to rent out their property legally. Furthermore, landlords must stay up to date with all the new requirements to make sure they do not receive sanctions.
- Landlords who have five or more people occupied in the property forming more than one household (and those five people share a toilet, bathroom or kitchen) require an HMO licence.
- HMO landlords (letting to 3 or more people) require planning permission if there is a material change of use.
- Landlords should keep the property safe from health-related issues such as bird nests in the attic or other pests. Also, the quality of the water, possible water damage in structures and in other ways unsafe structures might affect tenants’ safety.
- Landlords should use secured tenant deposit by the scheme approved by the government to protect tenants right to get the full deposit returned if they have met the terms of your tenancy agreement, have not damaged the property and have paid the rent and bills on time.
- Landlords are required to check whether the tenant has a right to rent in England. Landlord should check all tenants as it is against the law only to check people whom you think are not British citizens. Landlord must not discriminate against anyone because of where they are from.
- Fire safety that includes fitting and testing smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms is one of landlords' obligations. They also include following the fire safety regulations in relation to buildings’ safety and if the house has been adapted into flats.
- Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is required every time the property is rented and should include information about the property’s energy use and typical energy cost in addition to recommendations on how to reduce the use of energy and save money.
- Providing a Gas Safety Certificate (CP 12) for your tenants should include the annual gas safety check. Furthermore, sharing the gas safety record with your tenants is also required. Lastly, as a landlord, maintain the gas pipework, appliances, chimneys and flues in safe condition with maintenance work.
- Providing the tenant with a “How to rent” information sheet should be designed to help the tenant to understand what is required from them and their obligations and rights. This should include information about what the tenant should do before renting, how to behave in the property during the tenancy, what is going to happen after the tenancy agreement ends and what the tenant should do if something goes wrong with the flat.
- Information about how the rent is reviewed and potentially increased overtime should be included in the tenancy agreement. It should contain information about when the rent is reviewed, how much the rent can increase and legal information and help tenants if they disagree.
- Landlords should also have a strategy to solve potential disputes, such as legal action. Often, settling disputes can be sorted out by speaking with the tenant and coming to an agreement.
- The financial responsibilities of a landlord include things such as paying income tax for the rental income.
Are you feeling overwhelmed by all the requirements? Do you feel like you do not have the time and energy to deal with these issues? And not to forget that these issues do not include marketing the property, using time on viewings and managing tenancy agreements.
We are here to help to let and manage your property! Cloud Estates provides experienced and professional services to maximise rental income and make letting your property hassle-free.
Call us today and book a free valuation of your property!
