Running a home is expensive and, for a lot of us, this is where most of our money goes.
Rent and mortgages
First of all, we usually need to pay for our home. If we rent, this means paying regular money to our landlord so we can live there. If we own our home, then it’s likely that we borrowed the money to buy it by taking out a loan called a mortgage. We usually make monthly repayments on our mortgage.
See our section Social Housing for information on renting from local councils and housing associations.
Household bills
We also have to pay for utilities, which means the gas, electricity and water that we use in our home. If we have a telephone, broadband connection or satellite or cable television, we have to pay for these services too.
Choose from:
TV licence
If you watch television, by law you need to buy an annual TV licence. See our TV licence section to find out more.
Home insurance
Many people choose to insure their homes and the things inside them so that they are protected financially in case something such as a burglary or fire happens. See our section on Insurance for more information.
Council Tax
Council Tax is a tax on homes that helps pay for local services. To find out more, see our page on Council Tax.
