CF-ery with a happy ending! Landlord kept my name on the gas/electricity bill despite me moving out 16 years ago!

[Helpmepleasenow48]

I discovered that my ex landlord from 2002 has been constantly renewing my name on the British Gas bill for a property I moved out of 16 years ago. Found out when I did a credit check for a mortgage application. Luckily whoever lives there has been paying the bill on time.
But the landlord told British Gas I was still to be named on the bill as recently as last month! BG were good as DH and I have been customers at our present address for 10 years. I have dropped ex landlord an email asking him why, no reply as yet.

What a complete dick, can you get him in trouble for it?

You were such a good tenant the landlord fell in love with you and changed their name by deed poll to yours as a tribute.

What’s the happy ending?

Eh? From the point of view of the tenant(s) since you moved out - wouldn't they have wanted bills in their name, because well, that's what you expect to happen? That would have been weird for them, paying a bill not in their name. How were the bills paid?

This is weird, I can only assume the LL has been renting the place out as a HMO with bills included then paying the bill himself???

Zimbabwe that might explain it...

Happy ending is that British Gas is going to write to him telling he shouldn't have kept my name on the bill!

British Gas are fuckers though, it might be their fault partly as well.

I’d follow up that do actually do that, from bitter experience of British Gas.

Surely you rang suppliers when you moved out tho? I always do, as bitter exp with dodgy LL's re this in past. You can even advise them you're moving out online these days.

What's the happy ending? He could have royally fucked your credit and had bailiffs at your door. He's a cunt and I'd honestly be looking at the legalities of what he did rather than just dropping him an email and hoping for a reply

Happy ending is that British Gas is going to write to him telling he shouldn't have kept my name on the bill!

Are you always this passive in real life? First off all, you should have contacted them when you moved out, in writing. Secondly, this man's actions were fraudulent.

Don't understand how this is LL fault? You have to ring them when you move out to get your name off the bill. There's no 'renewing under a name' it just automatically continues until you tell them you're moving!

Why didn't you tell BG you were moving? That is your responsibility.

Secondly, this man's actions were fraudulent

The OP doesn't look great from a fraud point of view either as a utility bill is a good proof of address and the OP had one 'proving' that she lived somewhere else as she could have gained online access to her account to obtain the bills, no need to actually live at the old address at all.

I wonder if this was more a matter of incompetence rather than CFery - the landlord just didn't get round to removing OP's name and was paying the bills and charging the tenants for utilities by way of rent-with-bills-included. Some people are just vague about that sort of thing rather than malevolent.

But the landlord told British Gas I was still to be named on the bill as recently as last month!

This suggests it wasn't just innocent incompetence, surely?!

I would be keeping on top of this one, OP. I've had British Gas send final accounts for the previous owners to my address, years after they moved out, for fuel used at their new address when they were moving again! They're not always entirely on the ball, even if they've been given final readings and told you were moving.
And yes, I bloody opened their mail, because my address has been used fraudulently in the past, and they never gave me a forwarding address anyway.
I bet you wish you hadn't posted now, OP.

I’d follow up that do actually do that, from bitter experience of British Gas

Yes to this, BG couldn't organise a prayer in church.

Just to say - in 2011 (9 years after I had moved out) he told British Gas I was still living there, that's not incompetence..

I would be wondering what else he might be using your name for ....

Just to say - in 2011 (9 years after I had moved out) he told British Gas I was still living there, that's not incompetence

No it isn't. It's fraud. You should inform the police. What else is he up to?

When I worked for a utility company if we had a tenant/landlord dispute about who paid the bills we would ask for a copy of the tenancy agreement so that we could make a decision. Landlord should be responsible for all void periods.
We would also refer to the land registry if we were getting mail returned to find who owned the property.

Report to Action Fraud straight away - I would be seriously concerned about what else he has used your details for too.

I don't understand how he could get the bill put into your name if you had informed BG that you had moved out. Did you actually do that? Every tenant should advise the utility company themselves and give a meter reading, in order to protect themselves.