British gas asking for old tenants debt of £500

wednesdave

Hi, been in our house for about 6 weeks now. The lady previous who lived there had allowed her gas bill to reach £500. When we moved in there was a pay as you go meter installed due to this. Got everything sorted on first day, new account for us with new meter installed a few weeks later.

Had two British gas letters in old tenants name, left them alone in case lady came to collect her mail. She left no forwarding address.

But had a letter come today,soaking wet,open. Inside it was saying if they don't receive payment they will take it further with debt collection. Addresses to the previous tenant still.

Any ideas to do for the best, was thinking of sending back, no longer at this address with covering letter.

Thanks d.

PasturesNew

Send it back, with a photocopy of your AST and your landlord's address saying "She's not here; we're here; ask landlord for forwarding address"

wednesdave

Thanks, forgot to say we do own the house and we had new meters put back in.

[Deleted User]

Its in your interests to at least get on the phone to customer services and sort out the problem. acting like a "chav " and making life awkward for BG won`t get anyone anywhere. You could come home one day and find your electric disconnected completelyif you dont personally spend a few minutes on the phone to make BG properly aware.

prowla

sacsquacco wrote: »

Its in your interests to at least get on the phone to customer services and sort out the problem. acting like a "chav " and making life awkward for BG won`t get anyone anywhere. You could come home one day and find your electric disconnected completelyif you dont personally spend a few minutes on the phone to make BG properly aware.

Echo that - they obviously haven't registered in the correct department that the previous tenant has moved on, so they still think they are sending it to her there.

However, you aren't allowed to open the post, so you should return the letters as not known at this address.

But calling them to explain and letting them know your account details and confirming that the date you took over the property and had the new meter set up was after the debt should cover it.

They are not crooks trying to get you to pay someone else's debts; they just need a bit of assistance in joining up their data!

ValHaller

prowla wrote: »

However, you aren't allowed to open the post, so you should return the letters as not known at this address.

Wrong. Debunked every week on this site. Most recently here: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4845716

wednesdave

Just posted letter back saying no longer living at address and wrote back covering letter. Hope the right person gets it.

sniggings

I doubt anything would have happened, I bet they just have to send so many letters out or get the present owner to inform them that they no longer live there before they can close the account, they can't just one day decide to close the account, steps have to be followed, I guess you opening a new account should have been enough of a clue they had moved but it wasn't, so they send their letters, then before the heavy stuff happens they would have to do a lot of checking before disconnecting you or getting warrants etc etc then they would have realised a new customer had taken over the supply.

prowla

ValHaller wrote: »

Wrong. Debunked every week on this site. Most recently here: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4845716

Quoting from that post:

"This, in essence, means that if you deliberately intercept, throw away or open somebody else’s post you are likely to be breaking the law."

So, deliberately opening somebody else's post is....?

sniggings

prowla wrote: »

Quoting from that post:

"This, in essence, means that if you deliberately intercept, throw away or open somebody else’s post you are likely to be breaking the law."

So, deliberately opening somebody else's post is....?

if intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse

I guess that has to be proved first.