Unpaid bill by tenant

Bowey123

A tenant has moved out of one of my properties without paying his fuel bill. What is strange is that the bill has been in the name of someone who has never been a tenant there.
I don’t want to go into too much detail as it is quite unusual in other ways, and it may be connected to something else, but I need to know how he has managed to get someone else’s name on the fuel bill. This person has never been a tenant at the property. So would he have had to lie to the electricity company and say that he was a tenant?

QrizB

The important thing here is that your tenant's unpaid bill is not your problem. The energy company will need to pursue the tenant for the unpaid account.

If the energy co didn't validate the tenant's ID, that's still their problem not yours.

Bowey123

I know that I am not liable. This is not the first time it has happened. But I want to know what he would have had to say to get the energy bill in someone’s name? I would have thought they asked to see a tenancy agreement?
this is related to something much wider and far more serious than an unpaid bill, and which has become my problem.

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81891024#Comment_81891024

No, most things are taken on trust. People sign up when they move in so you can't check they are registered at their current address. You would normally ask for prior addresses to do a credit check but obviously hard to know if he is giving his real name and former address or the name of some random person who they know the address of.

When the firm attempt debt recovery is normally when it comes to light that they had a fake name and thats when they start trying to find out who was really living at the place.

[Deleted User]

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6656041/unpaid-bill-by-tenant

It's ok, you don't need to provide any more detail if you don't want to

You received a postal item not addressed to you.

Are you aware that intentionally opening a postal packet without reasonable excuse (e.g. being given the express prior permission by the intended addressee) that you know or reasonably suspect has been incorrectly delivered to you is a criminal offence contrary to the Postal Services Act 2000.

Upon summary conviction you could be facing a fine and/or imprisonment.

Best advice is to send any unopened mail back by writing ‘return to sender’ and/or 'not known at this address' or 'no longer at this address' as applicable on the envelope and putting it in a letter box as soon as possible.

Of course, if you know the intended addressee and their whereabouts, you could decide to post/deliver the postal item to them instead … unopened.

Bowey123

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81891040#Comment_81891040

that is very useful. Thank you.

So essentially all he would have said was”my name is John smith. I live in this address. Please supply me with electricity.”

Electricity board would then start supplying without doing further checks?
So he has committed fraud.

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81891049#Comment_81891049

No, you are normally asked for your previous address and they with do a check with a CRA to validate your ID. Because you have just moved in or possibly havent even moved in yet it's likely that they can only validate the prior address.

If they can't validate you electronically they will normally ask for a moderate deposit to be held instead

Bowey123

So he must have plucked a real person out of somewhere, presumably one with good credit record and used his name?

FrugaiMacDugal

He might've had someone living with him, unknown to you.

teaselMay

I've moved house once and changed energy supplier twice in the last year and don't recall giving any proof of identity at all. I think both suppliers asked for previous address and I did set up a direct debit with each and so they have that as confirmation too but nothing beyond that

MWT

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81891095#Comment_81891095

… or someone not actually living there but willing to pay the bill…

Many possibilities.