Partner Article

New company combines utilities in one

A Newcastle company offering a utilities brokering and billing service has invested in city centre property as it prepares to launch.

UtilitiesIn1.com, which is run by young entrepreneurs Andie Stokoe, 21, and Salem Sinawi, 22, has moved into the new Lime Square Development in Ouseburn with the support of Tyne and Wear Development Company.

The web-based service is aimed at students and young professionals living in multi-occupancy lets.

Utilitiesin1.com combines bills into single monthly direct debit payments for each tenant. Customers can track their spending online through itemised bills and receive a text or email reminder five days before each payment.

Several lettings agencies in Newcastle have already signed up for the service, which will be up and running for the start of the 2009-10 academic year.

Andie said: “Nobody else offers a service like this combining all bills in one and dividing it between all tenants. It’s a unique model which saves tenants living in shared accommodation time, money and effort.

“For landlords and agents it’s a great management tool as well. It removes the threat of arrears or unpaid bills at the end of a tenancy. We collect the money so there’s no risk to them of CCJs from tenants disappearing and not paying their bills. We constructed the business from day one to be beautifully simple for our customers.”

Deborah Fletcher, information officer at Tyne and Wear Development Company, said: “This is an ambitious and forward thinking company and we’re delighted to help them. They needed to move quickly and we were able to find a property that they will be able to expand into as they grow.”

For more information about investment opportunities in Tyne and Wear, please visit www.tyne-wear.co.uk or call 0191 516 9099.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .