A BUSINESS inspired by a row between Southampton housemates is in the running for two national awards celebrating the best in British entrepreneurship.

DividaBill was dreamt up after an argument brewed over an unpaid gas bill and is designed to take the hassle out of dividing bills for those living in shared accommodation.

Now the start-up firm’s three creators have been awarded a Shell LiveWIRE’s national Grand Ideas Award 2014 for entrepreneurship.

Former housemates Jon Akass, Sam Pachigar and Sam Salih are through to Shell’s national annual final, and have been selected for the London and South East regional finals for the Lloyds Bank Enterprise Awards 2014.

For just 99p, customers pay the trio to manage their bills to the utility companies.

In the year since the Southampton-based company began it has agreements with major utility suppliers to serve customers' packages to suit people living in shared accommodation and they bill each person monthly by direct debit.

The young company has won an award for entrepreneurship already at University of Southampton: Take off 2014.

Co-founder Jon Akass, 23, said: “Utility companies bill in lumps and the systems are just not set up for the shared accommodation market – and in particular students – who can even end up with bad credit ratings because someone in a house hasn’t paid a bill."

Founder Sam Pachigar, 25, said: “We open and close accounts for renters and tenants through our automated systems and it’s all done in about two minutes, so no hassle, we just divide the bill and you’re good.”

If DividaBill wins the regional final the trio will get a two-year mentoring programme from Lloyds Banking Group as well as recognition and publicity.

They will then have a chance at a £10,000 first prize, and some top level attention from the banks’ officials.

The trio intend to use the £1,000 awarded to them through the Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Awards to expand their firm.

Jon Akass said: “The prize money will pay for us to take a marketing campaign to yet another university where we can save students more hassle so they can concentrate on their studies without arguing with their flatmates.”