someone took out a debt in my name and debt collectors are hassling me, help!

peneloperigby

A few years ago I moved out of a house I had rented for a year. In the past month or so I have been getting hassled at my new address by debt collectors who say I owe a large gas bill (over £400) but I had cleared my bill before I left. I think the person who moved in after me must have used gas in my name (I can't remember if I told the gas people I was leaving, very stupid of me if I didn't and a big lesson learned...). Since the bill is in my name do I have to pay? I know that there have been a couple of different tenants in the house since I left so probably little chance of finding the culprit. Also the landlord was a horrible person who I have no desire of speaking to again and I know he wouldn't help me anyway. What should I do?

Purple_Sparkles

I had a similar problem with a utility company a few years ago. I simply rang them and told them when I left the property. They asked me to send in proof of my new tenancy which I did and I never heard from them again. HTH.

peneloperigby

Since I left the house in question I have been living a tenant in a house belonging to my brother. Since he's my brother I don't have any formal tenancy agreement as such. Maybe if I have an old bill placing me in this current house during the time the gas bill was run up?

dzug1

If you didn't tell the gas people you had left then you are, strictly speaking, liable for the bill up until the time someone else takes on the responsibility.

As said above though, they might not enforce this.

savemoney

Wouldnt the landlord of the old house be able to help regarding confirmation you left and another tenant moved in on such a date

anniecave

how can you be so sure you have cleared any balances due if you didn't tell the gas people you were moving out, give them a final meter reading, receive a final bill to your new address and either pay the final bill or receive a refund if you were in credit

were you on fixed dd? If so it could have built up a balance by not paying enough

have you clarified the supply period this bill relates to? was it when you were in the property, or after you left? or both?

can you get the owner of the property to write you a letter confirming when you moved out?

olly300

I don't understand why didn't you tell the utility company you were moving?

You can email all the utility companies telling them you are moving out on such and such a date. They will then send you an automated response. That way you have proof that you told them you were moving. (You can ring them up with the final reading later.)

I suggest you get a copy of a bank statement and a letter from the previous landlord proving that you moved out. Alternatively if you have an electricity or water bill showing it as a final bill then send a copy to them.

advantix

At the utility company i work at in this situation we would simply ask for a copy of the tenancy agreement for the address in question. If you cannot prove you moved out of the property (and a tenancy agreement for another property is not proof) then you may be held liable. If you do not know who the new tenant was then when you tell the utility company you moved out of the property they (well we would) will put the account in the landlord or letting agents name and they would be responsible from that date.