British Gas demanding money from us from 2 years ago!

bristol_pilot

A name will be needed to issue court documents (which can easily be found by looking on the elctoral register etc), what I mean is that the occupier is still liable for the gas used even if the bill is not addresseedd to a named person - otherwise no-one would ever tell the utility company their name.

Bunnie1982

bristol_pilot wrote: »

A name will be needed to issue court documents (which can easily be found by looking on the elctoral register etc), what I mean is that the occupier is still liable for the gas used even if the bill is not addresseedd to a named person - otherwise no-one would ever tell the utility company their name.

Ah no worries, I get what your saying now.

Hopefully a quick call from the OP to BG will clarify and clear up the matter.

Cardew

bristol_pilot wrote: »

Sorry but this is incorrect. You are liable and can be chased for bills addressed to The Occupier.

Totally agree!

Under both the Gas and Electricity Acts of Parliament as soon as anyone uses any gas or electricity they have entered a deemed contract and are liable to pay for any energy used.

That provision was included in the Acts so that new occupants could move in and start using gas/electricity without waiting to be re-connected - which would cost money and incur delays.

The Utility Company will not have any idea who the new occupant is, and so address correspondence to 'The Occupier.'

Obviously something has gone wrong in the OP's case.

However if you moved into the house on 4/10/06 it is highly unlikely IMO that NPower would have taken over your account (accounts?) by 17/10/06 as this usually takes several weeks, indeed months. Are you sure that NPower have been billing you from 17/10/06.

It might well be that the disputed final bill was for the previous occupiers and the bill(s) from BG the OP paid was for the period from 17/10/06 to the date NPower took over.

Once the debt is passed to the DCA, they are not interested in valid explanations.

Personally I would ignore the letter and let them take the initiative - do not contact the DCA.

GrannyKate

Similar scenario this week on behalf of elderly relative. I have all paperwork and records of phone calls in 2006. It appears BG have just sold a load of 2006 unpaid bills to DCA.

Money not owed by current tenant who is elderly, frightened and distressed. BG were unhelpful, unsympathetic and really could not care less about the impact of the sudden appearance of these letters after 2 years. Nothing to do with them now even though they acknowledge that they know the current tenant does not owe the money but will get the letters from DCA. I was advised to contact DCA and not waste time talking to BG as it is nothing to do with them. I fail to see how they can just wash their hands of any responsibility for what might happen in cases like these when debts are sold.

We did all the right things - read the meter when she moved in, rang the supplier, rang again when we changed provider, asked for a final bill and gave a reading, paid the bill. When the bills for the previous tenant turned up we sent them back with a note, rang BG and explained and gave the name of the landlord to contact re previous tenent, advised BG we thought she was deceased etc.

I know she does not owe the money but I cannot ignore the letters or she will get more and get even more upset and possibly be persuaded to pay what she does not owe to stop the harassment. :mad:

jarr

Seems BG have been sending out letters to people saying they haven't payed their bill and details have been passed onto EOS debt collectors. Phoned up and lots have been sent out by mistake. I changed provider 3 years ago!!

Disregard the letter but to make sure here's a British Gas freephone number

0800 0281028

Fire_Fox

There is some useful information on legal aspects of stopping harrassment, especially of the vulnerable, for debts that you do not acknowledge on the Debt Free Wannabe board. You are within your rights to ask for the letters to stop, and to complain to the appropriate ombudsman if this does not happen.