Gas Bill Help

andyfofo

Basically im a student living away from home for the first year...

i got a reminder saying im overdue on my gas bill that was sent recently... but i never got it? :think::eek:

anyways its relatively big, well it for 6 months so into the hundreds, im skint until thursday when my student loan comes in and then i can pay it off in full, but it says you should phone them if you cant make payment immediately... i realise ignoring money problems is a BAD move, so should i phone them and say that i'll pay on thursday? or just leave it since its only 3 days away?

cheers

spiro

Phone them straight away and say you haven't received the bill only a reminder (I assume its not an online account). I dont know a supplier who bills every six months so it sounds like you may have missed one 3 months ago so you may owe 2 bills.

andyfofo

spiro wrote: »

Phone them straight away and say you haven't received the bill only a reminder (I assume its not an online account). I dont know a supplier who bills every six months so it sounds like you may have missed one 3 months ago so you may owe 2 bills.

well it flat was brand new so we moved in halfway through the last payment period when they fitted the meter, so its only like 4 1/2 months but its definately our first bill as they came and did the first meter reading for the flat to be used for that bill

the only thing im concerned about phoning is if they ask to put the account in my name, as its currently in the letting agencies and im moving out in august to move in with other people, so dont wont to be liable for any costs after that? as im not sure how it works :eek:

macman

You are liable for the bill and arrears anyway if the tenancy is in your name. You should have registered for the supply on the day you moved in, not 4 months later. All you have to do in August is to inform them that you are moving out and to send you a closing bill to your new address.
It will say on the bill/reminder exactly what the billing period is.
If you don't want to be hit with a big quarterly bill then switch to monthly DD instead.

andyfofo

macman wrote: »

You are liable for the bill and arrears anyway if the tenancy is in your name. You should have registered for the supply on the day you moved in, not 4 months later. All you have to do in August is to inform them that you are moving out and to send you a closing bill to your new address.
It will say on the bill/reminder exactly what the billing period is.
If you don't want to be hit with a big quarterly bill then switch to monthly DD instead.

i know i am liable, jesus, im not saying that, i have no quams about paying the bill, the flat was completely brand new and had NO gas meter of any form when we moved in, this was the responsibility of the landlord so we had to use electric heaters for weeks until it was installed, at which point the letting agency registered it in their name, not me. i didnt KNOW they had registered it in their name until the bill hit my doormat this morning, im not physcic so how am i supposed to know the meter was registered in the landlords name by them if this is my FIRST bill, i.e first form of paperwork telling me who the account holder is. im just wondering whether there is any point changing it since i am liable while im in the flat, and the next bill will be my last one anyways.


all im asking is a simple question, in 3 days time, my student loan comes in... do i just pay on thursday or phone now and tell them i never recieved the initial bill but im still going to pay it on thursday when my student loan comes in.

macman

What do you have to lose by phoning them and saying that you will pay in 72 hours?
You knew you had a new gas supply, therefore it was your job to register for it-who else did you think could do that? It's not the agent's responsibility, nor their bill.

t0rt0ise

You should get the account put in your name otherwise you could have problems when you leave. You will have no way of proving what your final meter readings were and the landlord could well send you bills for any amount and you will not be able to show that they are wrong. If the account is in your name, when you leave you tell the supplier and give them the final meter readings. Keep a note of the readings so that you can check them against the bill when it arrives. Don't leave it to the landlord to choose when to send you the final bill or you might pay for the next tenant's gas too.

moonrakerz

Wouldn't be British Gas, would it ?

They used to send me red reminders and no bill. When I complained, the reminders stopped - I got a demand from a firm of debt collectors instead !

I don't deal with BG any more !