http://www.warwicksu.com
MOVING-IN PACK Message #1, 2009/2010
Here at SUHQ, we figured that you folks could do with a bit more information about moving -in — how t o sort out bills, where your nearest doctor is, stuff like that. Never fear… that’s what I exist for! Some people have asked for specific info on the group, an d I’ve tried to provide what I can here. If there’s anything you want to know about life beyond the bubble, or getting involved with community life, then post about it on the group discussion boards. Settle in well! If you need anything, give me a ring on 02476 572778 or e-mail me at welfare@warwicksu.com. This is the first year anything like this has been done, so please give any feedback you’ve got, good or bad! I’ve focused mainly on Leamington and Coven try residents, but I’ve tried to include more general info when I could because I’m aware not everyone lives in those places.
ion Introduct
Sami Welfare Officer
Health
Will I need to register with a new doctor?
Depends. As a first this year: if you are a full-time student living in Leam or Kenilworth, then you can now stay registered with the Health Centre on campus (obviously, this only works if you were registered with them before) as long as you update them with your new address. If this doesn’t apply to you, then you’ll need to find a new GP. How do I find my nearest GP? You can use http://www.nhs.uk to find your nearest GP — and also your nearest dentist, hospital, pharmacy and optician. How do I register to a new doctor? Take along your NHS medical card — on it are details of your current practice and your NHS number, which will make it easier for you to register. Providing your NHS number will make sure that new practice is sent your medical records quickly. If you don't have a NHS card, you can get your NHS number from your current practice. It's a good idea to write it down, along with their name and address. What do I do then? Once you've registered, you should be invited to the surgery for an initial consultation. At this consultation, you will be asked questions about your health and lifestyle. Do I get free prescriptions/dentist treatment? Maybe! The system assesses your wealth, so depending on how much you have in savings and income, you may get discounts or even the whole prescription free. You need to fill out a HC1 form, which you can get from doctors, dentist, opticians, or the Student Advice Centre Do I want a private or NHS dentists? There are three types of dentist surgery that you can choose from: those that treat NHS patients, those that treat private, and those that treat both. Sounds obvious, but private costs more money!
Housing
Some people, sadly, still haven’t sorted out a house for this year. Never fear. 1.
Check out the Housemates Wanted forum on the SU website (you need to be logged in) to find new housemates or a new house
2.
The SU website has a list of landlords, accredited houses, and also our 2008-09 Housing Guide for more info!
rd
landlo r u o y h t i al w How to de Tenancy Deposit Schemes
There’s a (relatively) new way for deposits for rented properties to be looked after. Ask your landlord about how your deposit is being protected – they are required by law to answer within 14 days of you paying the deposit. It’s your landlord’s job to: repair the building exterior and structure; keep the supply of water, gas, electricity, sanitation in working order; keep space and water heating in working order—and all in a reasonable time. It’s your responsibility to inform your landlord if something in the house is broken. If you have problems, contact the Student Advice Centre for help.
The jargon gets a bit technical, but what it boils down to is: 1. Your landlord should register your deposit with a scheme – if they don’t, and you take them to court, they could end up having to pay each tenant back three times the deposit amount! 2. The deposit is ―yours‖ until proven otherwise 3. Any deductions made can be challenged by you – the schemes all have their own arbitration mechanisms
s Inventorie
Part of the joy of the Tenancy Deposit Schemes is that it’s highlighted how important filling out inventories is. If people have taken a deposit dispute to arbitration, then without an inventory it just ends up as your word vs. your landlord’s... which may not end well for you. Make sure you get an inventory from your landlord or letting agent, then remember to fill it out, sign it, and get the landlord to sign it too. Take photos of every room when you move in, paying specific attention to any dirt or faults, and let the landlord know.
The most important work you and I will ever do will be within the walls of our own homes Harold B. Lee, 1899 - 1973
TRAVEL A quick google gives a few routes for our intrepid cyclists to try out. The Uni is doing a survey this year to make sure all bike racks are moved into the eyes of CCTV cameras, to hopefully reduce the number of bike thefts on campus Cov: http://cyclemaps.coventry.gov.uk for where cycle paths are Anywhere: http://www.sustrans.org.uk for more general routes and maps of the area
As you’ve probably already heard, the University made the decision over the summer to not issue any parking permits to students in the future, starting this academic year. Obviously, this creates some technical problems with regards to parking, which you can read about in the following places... What the SU are doing about it: initial report, progress report What the Uni is doing: their Travel and Transport Portal
Where the buses go One of our union officers has started to make up a special Google Maps page to show where the bus routes go. Check it out here — so far, it only has buses from Stagecoach (the company which make the Unirider) because it’s a work-in-progress, but we’re getting there with National Express for the 12 route too. The Uni site has a similar map for both the 12 and the U1/U2 here. Normally, people get the Travel Coventry bus pass if they're living in Cov, and the Stagecoach unirider if they're living in Leam... check the bus timetables for both and judge for yourself which you'd prefer to get! Unirider pass (U1/U2) Costs: http://www.stagecoachbus.com/warwickshire/unirider.html Bus times: http://tinyurl.com/su-scbus Travel West Midlands pass (12) Costs: http://www.travelcoventry.co.uk/buy-online/travel-cards/student-cards.jsp Bus times: http://tinyurl.com/su-twmbus
He who would travel happily must travel light. Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 1900 - 1944
x Council ta
If you’re in a house of full-time students, then your property will have no money to pay for council tax. This isn’t the same as being ―exempt‖ — you need to inform the council that you don’t need to pay. If you’re a part-time student, or you’re writing-up your PhD, you may have to pay — contact the Student Advice Centre or me for more info (contact details at the end). Coventry City Council (Coventry residents) You need to give a ―certificate of student status‖ letter to the council, which you can order online here. You can save time and apply as a whole property. Check out the details on page 9 of this booklet. If you are in an HMO, then it’s on the owner to sort this out, so they should ask for stuff from you. Warwick District Council (Leamington residents)
What’s an HMO?
There is a form on their website here.
An HMO is a House in Multiple Occupation. Established in the Housing Act 2004, the definition (a dwelling for three or more separate people not part of a family unit) covers most student properties. Larger HMOs have to be licensed — keep an eye on the news, because local government is looking for the power to be able to only allow HMOs in certain areas, which would effectively create student ghettos.
General info To find out your council, among other things, click here.
Energy is eternal delight William Blake, 1757 - 1827
n Bill accou
ts
It’s on you to sort out your utility bills. If you can’t find out your old providers from your landlord...
Gas You need to phone the National Grid (0870 608 1524). You’ll need to quote your address, and they may also ask for your MPRN number (a 7- digit number relating to your meter) but you don’t need to know that. Electricity You need to phone the regional MPAS department, which for the West Midlands is Central Networks (0845 6030618). You’ll need to quote your address, and they may also ask for your MPAN number (a 21- digit number relating to your meter) but you don’t need to know that. Sorting out your internet 1. Get a MAC code from the old provider, and give it to the new people when you sign up. 2. If there’s not a BT phone line installed, then you need to sort one out before you can get ADSL broadband. General stuff Make sure to shop around, and don’t just go with whoever the previous tenants went with. Chances are you can find a better deal if you look hard. Google is your friend! A lot of contracts are for 12 months — try to negotiate out of them if you can It can be a good idea to put everyone’s name on each utility bill. It’s important to sort out a system to pay bills early on, or there could be fallouts later. It may be worth looking for ―dual fuel‖ providers – this means that the same company supplies gas and electricity, and it can get you discounts or incentives! When you’re searching for which provider you want, make sure to check if any ISPs ―throttle‖ speeds or have download limits. I’m sure you all stay within the law with your internet connections – just saying!
eters m g n i d a Re
Why is it important to do?
Make sure you take a reading of the meters when you get into the house – when you get your first bill, you’ll need to know this info if you want to query the total. A lot of utility companies will charge you on ―estimated‖, instead of ―exact‖, use. This means that they guess the amount you’ve used, instead of checking the meter reading. If your bill is estimated, there’s a good chance it’s overestimated the amount you’ve used, so read your meter and update your provider How do I read a meter? The main challenge is finding them! Sometimes they’re on an outside wall, sometimes they’re hidden away in a garage, sometimes they’re hidden in the last place you’d expect — ask your landlord if you can’t find them. To read a meter, just read the numbers as normal (left to right). Ignore anything after a decimal point. If you appear to have two electricity meters, don’t worry – one will be for ―Economy 7‖, a lower-rate tariff for off-peak electricity.
T V licenc
e Do I need one?
If you have a TV (or laptop) that you use to watch live TV, then you need to get a TV licence. What if I just watch iPlayer? As long as you use it only to watch non-live TV, then you don’t need one. Do I need one for my room if we already have one for the whole house? Maybe. If you have one for your house, whether you need one for your room or not depends on whether you’re on a joint or an individual tenancy. Most undergrad student houses are on individual tenancies, so you will need a separate licence for a TV in your room.
Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons
recycl d n a h s i Rubb
in g
Woody Allen, 1935-
How do I find out what I can recycle?
Enter your postcode at Recycle Now to find that out, as well as where the nearest recycling banks are. Coventry How to get a bin (and more) Bin and recycling dates (they’re the same day)
Leamington E-mail WDC for bins if you need them Collection dates, times and more
Anything extra won’t be collected, but you don’t need to sort things You need to sort things, but extra things are collected
This all seems like hassle... Firstly, recycling is good — you know it to be true. A warning though: make sure that you put your bins out on the right day, and bring them in afterwards, if it’s possible. Leaving refuse outside in your garden or on the street will not only make your neighbours hate you, but you’ll also run the risk of a fine of anywhere between £75 and £20,000 under Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Scary stuff.
! Everyone should be doing their bit to Y E N O M SAVE help curb climate change, but just in case, here are some pretty easy ways to save energy and resources without any real effort! Where to get green energy Page from the Energy Saving Trust about green tariffs List of green tariffs on Consumer Focus site
boil a kettle with only as much water as you need cover pots and pans when cooking – they will boil a lot quicker defrost your freezer regularly and avoid putting hot food in the freezer there's emerging research that using a microwave rather than a conventional oven to heat up a small amount of food may save you energy set your freezer (to -3o C) and your fridge (to 4oC) a bit higher – the fridge and freezer together can take up to 20% of your household electricity!
washing clothes at 30 degrees can be just as effective for a normally soiled load run your washing machine or dishwasher with full loads avoid tumble drying – dry clothes outdoors or on indoor dryers when possible to save money and energy
turning your central heating down by one degree could cut your heating bills by up to 10% turn down your immersion heater temperature by one degree – you'll save energy and you're unlikely to notice the difference
leave taps off when you brush your teeth/shaving toilet flushing tallies up as about 1/3 of household water usage – install a water displacement device (or 'hippo') in the toilet cistern to reduce the amount of water used for each flush (typically by one or two litres)
use energy efficient light bulbs! You may be able to find some for free if you trawl freshers fair/societies fair remember to switch the lights off every time you leave a room
Wisdom outweighs any wealth Sophocles, 496-406 BC, Antigone
T E F A S L A PERSON
Y
Do I have insurance? All on and off-campus Warwick Accommodation housing (excluding Family Housing) comes with a certain level of personal possessions insurance, provided by Endsleigh. To see what is and isn’t covered, click here. You may also be covered by your parents’ home insurance. If neither are true, then you’re probably not insured by default, and you’ll need to sort something out.
Carbon monoxide is often called the ―silent killer‖, because it’s odourless, colourless and tasteless. It can be produced by badly installed or poorly maintained gas appliances, and is potentially fatal — even in low levels, the poison can leave lasting damage. The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to the flu or even a hangover, and can include: headaches, dizziness, tiredness, nausea, stomach and chest pains. How to protect yourself Ask your landlord for an up-to-date gas safety record Where possible check the flame on your gas appliances – the flame should be a stable blue one Check for discolouration around your gas appliances; any black marks or stains indicates there could be a problem Ask your landlord for an audible carbon monoxide alarm, or install one yourself What to do if you suspect a leak Turn the gas off at the meter Don't smoke or light any matches Ventilate your property by opening all doors and windows Don't operate any electrical switches Call the National Safety Gas line on 0800 111 999
You’ve been told since you were five about how to avoid house fires etc., so there’s not much point patronising you here. There is one thing to say though — if you get annoyed with your fire alarm going off too much, don’t just take the batteries out of it and carry on . Open windows, stop burning toast, whatever. Just don’t take the batteries out. You know it’s a bad idea deep down!
Students, as a group, attract crime when off-campus for obvious reasons — if you’re going to steal from a house, you may as well pick one where you can usually get laptops and MP3 players five or six times over. In fact, you’re more than twice as likely to fall victim to burglary when off-campus compared to oncampus, and on average £906 worth of stuff gets taken. There are a few simple things that can be done to reduce these kinda thefts drastically. 60% of thefts from students happen when car doors, windows and front/back doors are left wide open. Don’t make it that easy! Get hold of some timer switches for your lights if there’s no-one in the house over the holidays Register your stuff at Immobilise.com. Also, get your expensive kit marked with a UV pen, to make it easier to track. You should be able to find these at the Safer Students Road Show (see end of PDF)
ks c i r t d n a Tips 1. Get to know your neighbours! It sounds simple, and that’s because… it is. Talking to your neighbours from day one will make your whole year easier. They could be useful if you’re locked out or if you need to borrow a cup of sugar. It’s good to keep them in the loop if you’re going to have a party — you may even want to invite them over! If you do have a loud party and annoy the You’re also less likely to be loud and obnoxious at night if you neighbours, you won’t just get cold looks ….know ol’ Johnny has to get up early because of his shifts, or when you pass them on the way to the bus- ….whatever. It just makes everyone’s lives easier! stop. If they make a complaint to the council, then they have the power to come over and confiscate all your CDs and music players, which no-one wants to happen. Keep 2. Reduce the amount of junk mail you get your neighbours sweet! http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/ . Simple as.
3. Don’t pay out the nose for 0845 and 0870 numbers Use http://www.saynoto0870.com to find normal call-rate alternatives for premium rate numbers!
4. Don’t waste money buying furniture when you don’t need to 1.
Some landlords will fit things like extra shelves, storage cupboards and things for free. You don’t know if you don’t ask!
2.
Freecycle is a good way to get things for your house (or just for yourself) without having to actively buy them. Keep the things you get, or pass them on at the end of the year! Everyone wins! Freecycle Coventry Freecycle Leam and Warwick
The wisest mind has something yet to learn George Santayana, 1863-1952
That’s pretty much it from me, info-wise. I really hope you guys found this useful. On the next few pages there’s a calendar of events coming up which you may care about, a list of useful contact details, and a bit more about the Student Advice Centre here in SUHQ. If you have any feedback on this, good or bad, t hen pleeeeease gi ve me a ring on 02476 572778 or e-mail me at welfare@warwicksu.com — unless it’s about the design, bec ause I know that’s quite crappy, but I’m not really a graphic design whizz. Have a good year! Sami Welfare Officer
tes a d l u f e s U Leamington
Campus Tues 6th Oct Sports Fair Sports Centre, 10-4pm
Week 1
Wed-Thurs 7-8t h Oct Societies Fair Copper Rooms, 10-4pm
Coventry Thurs 8th Oct Film night (The Colour Purple) Coffee Rev, 6pm A part of Black History Month
Week 2
Tues-Weds 13-14th Oct Book sale Copper Rooms, 10-4pm
Thurs 15th Oct Film night (Hotel Rwanda) Coffee Rev, 6pm A part of Black History Month
Week 3
Mon 19t h Oct Union elections: manifesto deadline WarwickSU.com Tues-Thurs 20-22nd Oct Union elections: voting WarwickSU.com
Sat 24th Oct Canley Beach Party Non-alcoholic drinks, beer goggles, and a generally fun atmosphere A part of Alcohol Awareness Week
Moving-in pack written by:
Sami Wannell (Welfare Officer) welfare@warwicksu.com 02476 572778
Support and action Visual Evidence for Victims Non-police body to record injuries Hate Crime Reporting Centres Racist, disabilist, religious, homophobic and transphobic incidents can be reported to me. No authorities have to get involved. Student Advice Centre Provides free and independent advice on student-related problems
Fri 23rd Oct Union elections: results WarwickSU.com
Week 4
Council
If you want to complain
Thurs 22nd Oct African History and Contemporary Migration: causes & consequences R0.03/4, 5-6:30pm A part of Black History Month
Mon 26t h Oct Safer Students Road Show TBC, 10-2pm Police, SU and Uni come together to gi ve you all the info (and freebies) you need to stay safe!
Safer Students (loads of personal and household safety advice)
They run services like recycling and rubbish, land use, leisure facilities...
Fri 16t h Oct Book sale: book collection Copper Rooms, 10-4pm Union elections: Nominations close WarwickSU.com Weds 21st Oct Welcome to Leamington TBC, 6-7:30pm Welcome event run jointly by the SU an d Uni, with free Smart Water, bike marking, attack alarms and more
Police Find your local Safer Neighbourhood Team
Fri 9t h Oct Volunteering and Democracy Fair Monday 12t h Oct Book sale: drop-off Copper Rooms, 10-4pm
ks n i l l u f e s U
Tues 27th Oct Caribbean Family History — trace your family tree Central Library, 5-7pm A part of Black History Month
Coventry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre Confidential support service run by women for women University Counselling Service Book online for an appointment
Happiness arises in a state of peace, not of tumult Ann Radcliffe, The Mysteries of Udolpho, 1764