Help with bills.

mobile-advice

Hey there.

I'm not sure if I have got the right board for this - but it is debt related.

I'm sharing a house with another person at the moment and we're having problems paying the bills: Water, Electricity, Council Tax.

When I say, 'we', I should say 'they'.

Red letters for the bills are coming in now - and the council tax is a bad one because we would lose the right to pay by installments. The bills are all in my name (apart from Council tax, which is in joint names).

Flatmate wants me to pay the bills in full first and then he will 'pay me back later' - but I don't want to do this. Last time, I lent him £200 and it took months to pay back, and I only got it because I refused to go out for his birthday until it was paid. In fact, he owes me £19 for over a month now.
That sum probably seems pedantic but if it was the other way round, I'd be hammered every day for it!

Anyway, what do you suggest I do? Is it possible for bills to be split into two?

Chortle_2

I don't know for sure that you can't 'split the bills' in two with the providers, but I sincerely doubt that you can!

Your utilities (especially council tax!) are priority debts that NEED to be paid. I hate to have to say it, but I think you're going to HAVE to pay them, and get the money back from your 'friend' (some friend!) later. Otherwise you could end up in serious trouble with defaults etc, and could possibly even go to prison if you don't pay your council tax!

If this person lived alone, it'd only be their own future they were messing up, but as it is now, you're linked to them, and it can muck you up for years to come as well!

If you can't get them to see that you need to pay these kind of things above and beyond any other expenses, you'll have to pay it all yourself, and get the money back (somehow!) later! If it comes to it, you could always do a moneyclaim online and take them to the small claims court for it

dinkylou

Sorry to say this but am almost positive that you can't split the bills in two. The only way you could do this would be to transfer some of the other bills into his name, therefore making it more of his responsibility.

The main thing here is that you MUST prioritise your council tax. This one is your most important bill and you shouldnt let slip.

When I lived with other people we had an arrangement where we would all put the same amount into one account and that covered all bills, worked for us.

Maybe you should sit him down and tell him that this is getting silly and you dont have the money and wont cover his share.

You could always threaten to move out? That may put things in perspective for him?

Dont just pay the bills for him though, he is taking advantage of you.

muddled_midget

I think if you phone the utility companies they can put the bill in more than one name, but not split it down the middle so that you're each only responsible for half. I'm sure our water last year was done like this cos they were really funny about only wanting to speak to the bill payer, which in a shared house of 5 doesn't really work. Otherwise I would suggest putting half the bills in his name, at least then if he doesn't pay you, you don't pay him and then put the money towards his share of your bills.

CLAPTON

you can put the bills in joint names but you will both be jointly responsible so it doesnot help you to do this

your best bet is to sit down with your flat mate, go throuigh the bills and insist he/she pays monthly in advance.

i'ld also find a new flatmate or move out

briona

mobile-advice wrote:

Hey there.

I'm not sure if I have got the right board for this - but it is debt related.

I'm sharing a house with another person at the moment and we're having problems paying the bills: Water, Electricity, Council Tax.

When I say, 'we', I should say 'they'.

Red letters for the bills are coming in now - and the council tax is a bad one because we would lose the right to pay by installments. The bills are all in my name (apart from Council tax, which is in joint names).

Flatmate wants me to pay the bills in full first and then he will 'pay me back later' - but I don't want to do this. Last time, I lent him £200 and it took months to pay back, and I only got it because I refused to go out for his birthday until it was paid. In fact, he owes me £19 for over a month now.
That sum probably seems pedantic but if it was the other way round, I'd be hammered every day for it!

Anyway, what do you suggest I do? Is it possible for bills to be split into two?

Hi

It's crazy that all the bills are in your name. I share a house with four others and we have four bills [gas, water, phone and electric] between us. In theory four of us should have a bill each; in practice, the two other girls have a bill each and I have two bills [don't ask!].

I would explain to your flatmate that you are out of pocket [even if it is just for £19! I have to nag people over sums as small as £7!] and that you have no intention of being "mother/father" in the house therefore you will be putting the water and electricity bills into his name. Why should you take all the responsibility? You're both adults and therefore *should* have equal responsibility for the running of the house.

People are a lot quicker to pay others when there is a chance of being left out of pocket themselves! Truth be told, the worst offender in my house for not paying is one of the boys who doesn't have a bill in his name... I have threatened [many times] to put the water bill in his name and amazingly, the very next day, he comes up with any money he owes me...

Briona