Homebox - Utility Bills Management for Letting Agents

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What this supplier adds to the bottom line of every deal — what to look for.

Average revenue per branch per month after 90 days
Whether income is contractual, performance-based, or one-off
Customer-experience impact on vendor or applicant
Compliance posture (FCA permissions, ICO, BACS where relevant)
Who owns the customer relationship afterwards

Done well, cross sales pay for the marketing budget. Done badly, they cost you the customer.

The utility admin problem

Utility notifications during voids are a manual headache your team should not be carrying.

Most letting agents handle change of tenancy utility admin the same way they always have - by phone, by email, one supplier at a time. That is a 90-minute process per void, multiplied across your entire portfolio, every single year.

Your property managers are chasing utility suppliers, not clients

Notifying the energy company, the water provider, and the council separately for each change of tenancy takes time your team does not have. Mistakes mean bills land in the wrong name, disputes follow, and your team ends up in the middle of someone else's problem.

Void bills land on the landlord - and they blame the agent

When a void starts and utility notifications are not processed quickly, bills continue in the outgoing tenant's name or go unregistered. The energy company issues estimated bills. Your landlord calls asking why they have received a bill from a supplier they have never heard of. You have to fix it.

New tenants call your office about utility setup

Without a guided setup process, tenants spend the first week of a tenancy calling your office to ask which supplier they are with, what the meter readings were at move-in, and how to switch. Each call takes time from your team and generates no income for the branch.

Your CRM data is not connected to your utility notifications

You already record every tenancy start and end date in your property management system. But that data is not automatically triggering the utility notifications that should follow. Your team is duplicating work - re-entering information they already have just to send a notification to a supplier.

How Homebox works for letting agents

One submission triggers every utility notification your team would otherwise handle by hand.

Homebox integrates with your property management CRM. When you add a change of tenancy, Homebox identifies the current utility suppliers at that property in real time and notifies each of them automatically - including energy, water, and council tax.

1

Automatic supplier identification

Homebox knows in real time who supplies energy, water, and council tax at each property you manage. You do not need to look it up - the moment a property is added to the system, the supplier information is already there.

2

Instant utility notifications on void

As soon as a void period is added to the Homebox system, all relevant suppliers are notified automatically with the correct liability dates and meter readings. No phone calls from your team. No chasing. No duplication.

3

Void energy management

During each void, Homebox switches the energy onto their own supplier account and ensures accurate bills are generated for all utilities. Copies go directly to the agent. Your landlord is not left with unexpected energy debt from an unmanaged void.

4

Tenant home setup concierge

New tenants are guided through the setup of all their utilities by the Homebox team. Everything is bundled into one easy monthly payment - which means they are not calling your office to ask who supplies the gas or how to set up a direct debit.

5

Bills-included listings via Zoopla

Homebox has partnered with Zoopla to display every rental home with the combined cost of rent and bills. This gives your landlords a competitive advantage at the listing stage and helps attract quality applicants who want simplicity at move-in.

6

CRM integration that removes re-keying

Homebox software integrates with most property management CRMs to sync tenancy data automatically. Tenancy details flow directly into Homebox so your team is never re-entering information already in their system.

The agent journey

From tenancy end to fully notified suppliers - without a single phone call from your team.

Homebox is free for letting agents to use. The service generates income for your branch through a commission structure on utility setups - and saves your property managers' time on every single void.

1

Connect your CRM or add the property

Integrate Homebox with your existing property management system or add properties directly to the Homebox platform. Tenancy data syncs automatically once connected.

2

Add the change of tenancy

When a tenancy ends, add the void to Homebox. The system immediately identifies all utility suppliers at that property and begins the notification process without any further input from your team.

3

Homebox handles all supplier notifications

Every relevant supplier is notified with the correct dates, meter readings, and liability information. Accurate void bills are generated and sent directly to you. Your landlord is covered from day one of the void.

4

New tenant setup is handled for you

When the new tenancy begins, Homebox guides the incoming tenant through setting up all their utilities. They receive one bundled monthly payment, which removes the post-move-in utility queries that previously came to your office.

5

Commission earned, time saved

Homebox generates significant income for letting agent branches through utility commission. Your Kerfuffle AM will walk through the commercial structure with you before you commit to anything.

The Kerfuffle & CTP member offer

Kerfuffle members get a named contact, prioritised setup, and commercial terms reviewed before committing.

Homebox is free for letting agents. Kerfuffle and Compare The PropTech members get a dedicated contact through the Kerfuffle partnership, a reviewed commercial structure before any commitment, and support from your Kerfuffle AM throughout onboarding.

What Kerfuffle members get

Free access to the full Homebox platform
Named Kerfuffle account manager throughout
Commercial terms reviewed before you commit
CRM integration support from day one
Propertymark Industry Supplier - trusted and vetted

Member route

Platform access

Free

For letting agents - income generated through utility commission

Homebox earns its income through utility partnerships. Your branch receives commission when tenants set up utilities through Homebox. The Kerfuffle member route connects you to a named contact who will walk through exactly what this means for your portfolio size before you commit.

Claim the member offer

Live demo - open to all Kerfuffle & CTP members

See Homebox in action - from void notification to bundled tenant bill, in thirty minutes.

A walkthrough of the full Homebox platform: how utility notifications are automated, how void management works in practice, how the tenant setup process runs, and what the commission structure looks like for your portfolio.

From void admin headache to automated utility management - Homebox for letting agents

See exactly how Homebox integrates with your current CRM, what the void notification process looks like in practice, how tenants experience the bundled bills service, and what commission your branch can expect across your current portfolio. Bring your monthly void volume and the Homebox team will scope the opportunity on the call.

HB

Homebox Agent Partnerships team

Homebox - Utility management and bills bundling for UK letting agents

Book the demo

Homebox saves landlords an average of 90 minutes of admin during the changeover period between tenancies. Our partnership empowers agents to streamline and automate utility management, removing the administrative burden of the change-of-tenancy process entirely.

Homebox Propertymark Industry Supplier - NRLA Partnership Announcement, December 2024

Frequently asked questions

Questions letting agents ask before getting started with Homebox.

Is Homebox free for letting agents?

Yes. Homebox is completely free for letting agents to use. The platform earns its income through partnerships with utility suppliers. When tenants set up utilities through Homebox, your branch receives a commission. There are no platform fees, no monthly charges, and no minimum portfolio size required.

How does Homebox integrate with our property management system?

Homebox software integrates directly with most property management CRMs to sync tenancy data automatically. When a change of tenancy is recorded in your system, Homebox picks up the relevant information and begins the notification process without any re-keying from your team. Specific integration options are discussed during onboarding - your Kerfuffle AM can advise on compatibility with your current setup before you commit.

What utility notifications does Homebox send automatically?

Homebox identifies all utility suppliers at each property in real time - energy, water, and council tax. On a change of tenancy, it notifies all relevant parties with the correct liability dates and meter readings. During void periods, it switches energy onto a managed account and ensures accurate bills are generated. Your landlord receives copy bills so they have a complete record throughout the void.

What happens to utility bills during the void period?

Homebox takes over the energy account during void periods, switching onto their own managed supplier account. This ensures bills are generated accurately in the correct name and sent directly to you as the agent. Your landlord is not left exposed to estimated bills or unexplained charges from a supplier they have never contacted. You receive a copy bill for every void period so the audit trail is clear.

How does the bundled bills service work for tenants?

Once a new tenancy begins, Homebox guides the incoming tenant through setting up all their utilities. Energy, water, broadband, and council tax are all brought together into a single monthly payment. Tenants receive a home setup consultation from the Homebox team, which removes the post-move-in utility questions that would otherwise come to your office. Homebox has helped over 100,000 home movers through this process.

How does Homebox appear on Zoopla?

Homebox has partnered with Zoopla to display rental listings with the combined cost of rent and bills shown in one figure. This means properties managed through Homebox can be marketed on Zoopla with bills included, which is attractive to applicants who value simplicity and transparency in what they will actually pay each month.

Is Homebox a Propertymark Industry Supplier?

Yes. Homebox is a recognised Propertymark Industry Supplier, which means the service has been assessed against Propertymark's standards for the letting and estate agency sector. For agents who are Propertymark members, this is an additional mark of assurance when evaluating a new supplier relationship.

How do we get started as Kerfuffle members?

Use the member offer button on this page. You will be connected to Homebox via the Kerfuffle partnership, with your Kerfuffle AM involved from the start. They will walk through the commission structure with you before you commit, and the Homebox team will handle integration and onboarding. The whole process is designed to require very little from your team at the setup stage.

Why utility management matters for your agency

Utility admin is one of the most time-consuming tasks in letting management - and it generates nothing for your branch when done manually.

Over 1,000 UK letting agent branches have already moved to Homebox. The agents who automate utility notifications first are freeing up property manager time, protecting their landlords from void bill surprises, and generating commission income from a process that previously only cost them time.

90 mins

Saved per void period on average through Homebox

1,000+

UK letting agent branches using Homebox

100,000+

Home movers guided through the setup process

4.6

Kerfuffle rating from UK letting agents

Pays You Back — Not Yet On Platform

Homebox is not on PropTech That Pays Back yet.

PropTech That Pays Back is the Kerfuffle initiative that rewards estate agents with kredits when they actually use what they have bought - not just when they sign the contract. Homebox is not on the platform presently. If you would like to see Homebox added and arrange a demo as part of the rollout, register your interest below.

Register your interest in a demo → Browse suppliers that pay back →