Landlord made me liable for a bill without consent - then debt collectors

twuble

Actually I would have expected that if BG are changing over the owner of the bill they need to send someone along to do an ACTUAL meter reading. As otherwise they can't bill the landlord for the correct amount used up to that point, and then charge you for the correct amount going forward from that point.

So if they haven't done one then BG are a bit in the wrong as well.

Unless your meter is outside?
But I'd also expect a welcome letter from them etc saying thanks for joining BG and your initial meter read.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

twuble wrote: »

Actually I would have expected that if BG are changing over the owner of the bill they need to send someone along to do an ACTUAL meter reading. As otherwise they can't bill the landlord for the correct amount used up to that point, and then charge you for the correct amount going forward from that point.

So if they haven't done one then BG are a bit in the wrong as well.

Unless your meter is outside?
But I'd also expect a welcome letter from them etc saying thanks for joining BG and your initial meter read.

You're wrong.

Energy suppliers are only obliged to read the meter once every 2 years - and none of it depends on when people leave a property/responsibility for the bills changes. Indeed in many cases they aren't even told about these things, and are blamed for the ensuing chaos.

Bewilderment

Thanks again for the responses, this is helping a lot.

Regarding the gas meter: Yes, there is a gas meter in the flat and when I checked the reading it was WAY lower than the usage estimate BG were trying to bill for. I've never dealt with BG and have no idea how this works... If they only have to check the actual amounts every two years does this mean I have to pay estimates higher than my usage for two years? Because that sounds ridiculous! I did take a reading after I was asked to pay for the heating and really hope that I can find it - I will go and look for it now.

Regarding the bills: if any British Gas letters had actually been addressed to my flat or me by name, I would probably have recieved them. However, they were just addressed to the building, which has numerous flats and tenants in it, and since everyone understood that the BG post was the landlord's, they continued to be put in the pile of post for the landlord by whoever picked up the post. I never saw one with the changed addressee until I got the debt collection letter (which also wasn't addressed to my flat or my name, but was opened by another flat occupant and left in a prevalent place). Of course when I saw the letter from the DCA I went to look through the landlord's post and discovered that the bills were now addressed to the building occupants. BG clearly weren't sure who they were supposed to be billing but the other flats are now all electric. I do realise British Gas may say "we sent bills to the property", and might not believe that they weren't received by whoever was responsible. I only have my word that the landlord never told me he was changing responsibility for the bills, which is why I asked how he was able to do it. It seems strange to me that BG would accept that change without asking the identity of the person they should be charging and seeking their permission. I will ask BG about that when I contact them.

I would be fine with setting up a BG account and direct debit to pay for the gas usage (so long as they aren't going to charge me really high estimates instead of my actual usage!). I will let my landlord know that he needs to set up a seperate account to pay whatever the monthly boiler fees are, if those need to be paid, since he has never mentioned anything about those to me.

topdaddy_2

I wouldnt be paying for anything I havent entered an agreement with. This includes british gas and the baliffs.

DT12

You can submit meter readings directly to the energy companies to receive more accurate estimates. Usually they allow you to submit readings online.

supermassive

I think the main thing here is that it's fraud first and foremost. Unless you called them and set up an account in your name yourself, your landlord has committed fraud and you don't actually have an account with any energy supplier for gas right now. I'd ask them to send me the recording from when I signed up and gave agreed (verbally) to their contract.

theEnd

supermassive wrote: »

I think the main thing here is that it's fraud first and foremost. Unless you called them and set up an account in your name yourself, your landlord has committed fraud and you don't actually have an account with any energy supplier for gas right now. I'd ask them to send me the recording from when I signed up and gave agreed (verbally) to their contract.

I agree.

I don't think the LL can sign you up to an agreement with BG. This sounds more like the LL has transferred their bill and possibly some existing debt over to you.

You may owe the money, depending on your tenancy agreement, but not to BG.

Ask BG when and how they opened an account for you.

stator

I don't see how it's fraud. The account wasn't in the tenants name, it was sent to the occupier. This is the situation in hundreds of thousands of households who can't be bothered to set up accounts in their names. It's called a deemed contract and perfectly legal. Obviously no debts would transfer from the old account holder to the new one.
The problem is that they are sending the bill to the house rather than the flat. I would get in contact with BG and offer to pay the real gas usage if they abandon the debt collection fees etc.

twuble

Well while they are sending them to the "occupier", it's a bit odd for them to try and claim money/send debt collectors for the people in there.
How do they know that the current people in there have been there for the time they were sending the bills through? Especially if they can't even do a meter reading on the property at the changeover. They could have moved in just last week, and are therefore only due to pay the amount from that week.

We had a similar thing happen though with the water bill, was previously in one tenants name and they just rang up and changed it over without talking to the other tenant, or the water company confirming this was ok.

Guest101

Have u spoken to debt collectors yet?