heating bill

rubber_budha

Hi, hope somebody can help me out there with this unusual situation. I split up with my girlfriend and some months after moving out was told that a big heating bill had been delievered to her's and it covered a period of time that I was living there. Sometime later, I took the bill under my name and in the process had her's removed from the bill. I did this as I thought I was doing her a favour as she kept saying she couldn't cope with having her details on the bill. I now believe I was manipulated and I don't think she has any intention of making a payment towards it via a bank account I set-up to pay the bill from :mad: Is there any way, without her authority, of having her associated with the bill again? I rang up the provider and they said that it was an unusual situation but that they couldn't put her details back on the bill without her authority. :eek: Does anybody know if there are any legal grounds open to me to have her associated the bill again? I can certainly prove that I lived there with her during that time.

HappyMJ

Errrr..I don't quite understand. If it's got your name on it then it's up to you to get the money together and pay it. You can't retrospectively change the names on the bill and if you did you would still be responsible anyway. If you don't live there anymore then give the provider the current and final meter reading and finalize the bill. You can then give them her name or it will revert to "the occupier" until someone takes it over.

rubber_budha

HappyMJ wrote: »

Errrr..I don't quite understand. If it's got your name on it then it's up to you to get the money together and pay it. You can't retrospectively change the names on the bill and if you did you would still be responsible anyway. If you don't live there anymore then give the provider the current and final meter reading and finalize the bill. You can then give them her name or it will revert to "the occupier" until someone takes it over.

Thanks for your reply. Sorry, I didn't make it quite clear enough. The bill was in her name up until a month or two ago. I then got in contact with the provider to have it put in my name after she said she'd contribute towards the bill if I did that. I now think that she won't, which leaves the bill solely in my name and she walks away from it without paying a penny. I've got the money to pay it but I feel that she should have to pay towards it as well. Any chance I can get her name back on the bill along with mine?

The bill has already been finalised. If I ask the provider to revert the bill back to her as she is the 'occupier' of the property where the bill was run-up do you think they'd be willing to do that? Or is there a different way of doing it? Or is there just no chance that what I'm asking for can happen?

HappyMJ

rubber_budha wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. Sorry, I didn't make it quite clear enough. The bill was in her name up until a month or two ago. I then got in contact with the provider to have it put in my name after she said she'd contribute towards the bill if I did that. I now think that she won't, which leaves the bill solely in my name and she walks away from it without paying a penny. I've got the money to pay it but I feel that she should have to pay towards it as well. Any chance I can get her name back on the bill along with mine?

The bill has already been finalised. If I ask the provider to revert the bill back to her as she is the 'occupier' of the property where the bill was run-up do you think they'd be willing to do that? Or is there a different way of doing it? Or is there just no chance that what I'm asking for can happen?

I'd say no chance of that happening. You have to pay the bill then claim from your ex through court. Even if it was a joint bill you'd have to do the same.

Try here ---> https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome

What are we talking about anyway £100 or so for "a month or two"?...Can you just write it off and put it down to experience?

macman

The only factor that is relevant is whose name the bill is in for the period that has been billed.
Everything else is between you and your ex, the supplier will consider that a 3rd party dispute and won't get involved.

rubber_budha

The total is close to a thousand pounds as it was run-up over approximately a 6 month period so not really willing to chalk it down to experience. I'll get in touch with the provider again because her name was on the bill for the period that was billed so maybe they'll revert the bill back to her name :doh: If not then I'll pay it in full and take her to court if necessary. Thanks to both of you for your help.

macman

When the name was changed to yours, a new account would have been opened and closing/opening readings agreed, anything prior to that is entirely down to her, anything after entirely down to you.
If your name is still on the account then you remain liable for all consumption since and ongoing until you terminate your account, which you would be wise to do.
If you owed her for part of that bill, I don't understand why you didn't just make a contribution towards it, rather than re-register for a new account at an address where you are no longer living and have no responsibility for consumption at?