New to the UK
New to the UK? The bills work differently here.
Council tax paid to the council, gas and electricity from suppliers you choose, broadband on a fixed-term contract, a SIM on a monthly plan, and a letter with each one. Wisemium explains what they are, keeps them in one place with their dates, and reads anything you do not understand. Start with your postcode. No documents needed, and no account until you want one.
Start with the postcode you have moved to
Wisemium tells you which council the address belongs to, and which company most likely supplies its water. In the UK both are decided by where you live rather than by you, so there is nothing to choose and nothing to compare. Anything Wisemium is not certain about says so.
Council tax, which surprises almost everyone
A tax on the home itself, paid to the local council, usually in ten monthly instalments, on top of rent. The amount depends on the property’s band. Full-time students are not counted, and if you are the only adult in the home the bill is reduced by a quarter, but the council only applies a discount if you ask. Keep the bill in Wisemium and the dates are kept with it.
Add my council taxHow council tax bands workSingle person discount
Gas and electricity, chosen separately from everything else
Energy is not included in most tenancies, and gas and electricity can come from two different companies at the same address. A new home usually starts on the supplier’s default rate, which is not one anybody chose. Give Wisemium a bill and it reads the tariff, the unit rates, the standing charge and the end of any fixed term.
Broadband and a phone, both on contracts
UK broadband is normally a fixed-term contract, and the price often rises when the term ends. A phone can be a monthly SIM you can leave at any time, or a longer contract that includes the handset. Keep either in Wisemium and the end date is where you will see it; when you are free to change, it can show you what its partners offer.
Insurance for your things
A tenancy usually covers the building, not your belongings. Contents insurance is yours to arrange, renews once a year and can renew automatically. Keep the policy in Wisemium and the renewal date sits with the schedule. When you want a quote, it takes you to an approved partner.
A letter you do not understand
Give it to Wisemium. It reads what the document actually says, sets the facts out in plain English and asks you to confirm them. That is often the fastest way to understand a first UK bill, and it works the same for energy, water, council tax, broadband or insurance.
Your payslip, line by line
A UK payslip has a tax code, National Insurance, and sometimes a pension or a student loan deduction. Enter the figures from your payslip in Tax & Pay and Wisemium explains each line, so you can see what is being taken and why. It needs a free account, because pay details are private. It explains; it does not give tax advice and it does not contact HMRC.
Documents kept where you can find them
The tenancy agreement, the deposit certificate, the first bill from each supplier, your payslips. Your Wise Vault keeps each one with the item it belongs to, which matters when somebody asks you to prove an address or a payment.
If you share the house
Household Share puts the same items, dates and documents in front of everyone who needs them, so the broadband contract and the energy account are not held in one person’s memory. It assumes nothing about who you are to each other.
What Wisemium does not do
Wisemium gives no immigration or legal advice, and has nothing to do with visas or the right to work.
It does not provide a bank account, a card or credit, and it cannot build a credit history for you. It explains how borrowing works here and nothing more.
It does not switch your services for you. It shows you what is worth doing and you decide; nothing changes without you.
It does not go looking for your suppliers, and it cannot list the individual flats at a postcode. It knows what you give it.
Once you are settled
The first few months are the hardest because everything is new at once. What you set up then stays: the items, their dates, the documents. A year later, when the energy term ends or the broadband price rises or the council tax letter arrives again, that is where you will see it. Wisemium is your financial manager here, not a service for arriving.