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You can find the telephones and addresses of the main utility companies (water, electricity, gas and fuel oil) which service your area by asking your landlord, previous tenant or sometimes the information is written on the meters. Gas and electricity companies are privatised so it pays to shop around and compare prices. It is a good idea to write down the emergency numbers of the utility companies and have them easily accessible.
Electricity
Find out where the fuse box is and how to operate it. The UK electricity is on 240 Volts and 50 cycles. You can buy transformers or converters at appliance shops. Make sure that the power of the transformer has enough wattage for all your appliances. UK plugs have 3 pins, but you can buy plug adapters to convert continental plugs to UK design; for US appliances, you will usually need a transformer. Usually there is an "on and off" switch beside each electrical socket. In the bathroom you will usually find a cord for the lighting hanging from the ceiling instead of a switch. Light bulbs are frequently the bayonet type, rather than the screw-in type. If you have individual gas water heaters for bathroom or kitchen, you must make sure they are serviced every year and that the rooms are well ventilated. Fatal accidents have happened because of defective gas heaters.
Water
Many water bills are not based on the consumption rate but on the value of the property - they are not all metered. You will receive a bill once a year, which you can pay in full or in instalments. Remember that you may not use a sprinkler to water your garden unless you have a meter.
Phone
The telecommunications market is completely deregulated in Britain, with cable TV companies able to offer residential phone connections, which means that you have a choice of telecom providers and very competitive rates. As on the continent, local calls are charged. You can buy a phone at DIY stores, high street shops, or from phone companies. If you don't pay your bill you will get reminders and then you will be cut off. You will have to pay a reconnection fee to get connected again. Normally you will get an itemised bill, and if you don't you should ask for it. You will also receive a phone book of the local area for free. You can also ask for a free Thomson directory and Yellow Pages.
You will pay less if you call between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 am. When you have chosen your telephone company you should read their welcome brochures carefully as they provide interesting information on free services such as "last call announce" or "ring back when free".
For the operator, dial 100, for emergencies 999, for the overseas operator 155.
International Calls
There is a large choice of long distance calling plans. Besides the long distance and international calling plans offered by residential telecom providers, there are a number of companies offering these services.
Mobile Phones
You can buy a mobile phone at any phone shop, grocery store, and other places. Shop around because there are many choices of contracts, calling plans and prepaid cards. You should think about how often you plan to use it, where, national or international, how long is the service contract, and how you can end it. Some networks are analogue while most offer the international digital GSM standard. Do not bring a mobile phone from the US because it will not work in Europe.
Coin Calls
Coin calls are easy to make. You put in the amount indicated on the phone, and then dial the number. The phone itself will have all the instructions printed clearly on it, and all you have to do is follow those instructions. The amount of coins you need to put will be different for local, national or international calls. You may also have to put additional coins to extend a call.
Phone Cards
Pre-paid phone cards are available for local, national and international calls. You will find them available most anywhere, and in fact, they are more popular than using coins. There are a couple of ways you can obtain one, either from a machine where you insert some money, and get a card; or over the counter. You can also re-use the same card, by adding more money to your card.
Television / Radio / Cable
Televisions and VCRs brought over from the continent and the US will not work in the UK. It is best to buy one locally or if you are going to use videos and games from your home country it is best to buy a multi-standard TV which can handle all systems. When you use a TV you must pay a licence fee.
Cable television service can be acquired through companies like Cable & Wireless, who will give free a phone connection as a bonus.
Internet Connection
As in other countries, there are a large number (300) of Internet service providers (ISP). Internet Magazine publishes monthly and historical performance tests of ISPs, including access times of European and US web pages. ISDN is increasing, but not widespread.
Postal Service
The official name of the postal system in the UK is Royal Mail. Post offices are found in shops that also sell postcards, sweets, and stationary items. There are about 1500 post offices in the UK. Among these outlets are 600 that are directly operated post offices and 900 are managed by agents on behalf of Post Office Counters. This is unlike most other European countries, where all the post offices are operated solely by the national postal system. In rural areas there are even post offices in village halls, pubs and people's front rooms to serve the local community.
The opening hours are generally from 9:00 a.m. to 17:30 p.m. and they are open on Saturday morning.
Post Office counters provide, among others, the following services:

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