Housemates Not Paying Bill

retrend

We recieved our quarterly bill a few weeks ago (700 for gas and electric between 4 people, is this alot?) and none of my housemates have come forward with any money. I want to pay my quarter of the bill (I can't afford to pay any more) as I am one of two people named on the bill, what is the best way to go about this? Npower told me on the phone that if I sent copies of all the contracts I would only be liable for my quarter, however I have been told on here and have read that this infact isn't true and I could be held liable for the whole lot. Theres no chance of my housemates actually giving me any money any time soon, I'm stuck as to what I should do (will an unpaid bill affect my credit rating?)

Fire_Fox

Why are only two names on the bill when you are a larger house? This needs sorting ASAP. You might try getting the letting agent/ landlord to write reminding all tenants to pay? You will only be liable for the whole amount if the energy company cannot contact the others responsible for paying, so get this sorted now and there will be no problem.

Premier_2

Did the responses to your earlier thread not answer the main part of the questions posed here?

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1517075

How do you think not paying your creditor will affect your credit rating?

Magentasue

retrend wrote: »

Npower told me on the phone that if I sent copies of all the contracts I would only be liable for my quarter, however I have been told on here and have read that this infact isn't true and I could be held liable for the whole lot. Theres no chance of my housemates actually giving me any money any time soon, I'm stuck as to what I should do (will an unpaid bill affect my credit rating?)

If you give nPower the names of the other two, you will all be liable for a quarter. However, if the others don't pay, you become jointly and severally responsible for the balance. It's in your interests to provide nPower with the details they want. At present, you're liable for half.

retrend

There are only two names on the account because one of the unamed housemates put our names on without asking us! I know from experience that even if they are being chased by companies they are unlikely to pay, if they refused to pay I would then be liable for the whole bill, I want a solution where I can pay a quater of the bill and leave it at that! The whole process seems unfair in that I could potentially be liable for a bill (which is looking like it will be £1500+) even though I never agreed to put my name on the bill, speaking to npower they won't let me remove my name.

retrend

The answers you have given are clear and helpful, I just can't see a way out of paying the whole bill, even if npower are chasing the others they won't pay, they don't care about their credit ratings and they all already owe significant money to various companies, so even giving contact details to npower as people are suggesting isn't going to solve the problem.

Magentasue

Looking at it from nPower's point of view ... you have used the energy knowing your housemates won't pay.

If you can't sort things with your housemates, you need to pay their share. Or get new housemates.

Fire_Fox

NPower will want to be paid, they don't care who takes the hit. Get the others names on the bill ASAP - try to get that backdated by sending in your tenancy agreement with a letter stating you were unaware that the bill had been attributed incorrectly. Then get the letting agent or landlord involved - perhaps they will threaten to withold your deposits until this bill is paid. If you leave this, the other tenants will move out and you will be saddled with the whole bill: take action quickly. And if they don't pay, switch off the washing machine/ tumble dryer/ shower/ lights/ TV whenever they are using it!!

retrend

Well my housemates have used the energy (I am very tight with my usage, my housemates are completly careless, probably because they don't intend on paying), This is causing me masses of stress and I spend far to much time worrying about it, what I have gathered so far is that there is nothing I can do to avoid this?!! This seems so wrong that this is the way the system works, I'd be better off having no intention of paying from the outset!! as the only honest person it seems I am the one who is going to suffer the consequences. And yes I do need new housemates but this is not an option till next year!

Magentasue

retrend wrote: »

what I have gathered so far is that there is nothing I can do to avoid this?!! This seems so wrong that this is the way the system works

This is life, though, isn't it? If you live with someone, set up a business, or lend someone money, you have to sort out the financial side so that it's 'fair' and you're happy with it.

Your housemates could give you money to pay Npower and you could deny all knowledge of it. You could agree that you'll pay utility bills, your friend will pay rent, another will buy food and do the cleaning etc. It's up to you to organise things - nPower just want their money. It's up to the four of you how it gets to them. They won't get involved in the arrangements or how fair it is.

retrend

Thanks for the replies, even if their not what I want to hear! Would the fact we all rent the rooms on their own and not the house (separate contracts) affect this?