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.

This doesn’t make sense, how were the bills being paid? The name on the account used to pay the bill or set up a direct debit has to be in the name of the person whose name the account is in.

You should definitely report him to HMRC. He has probably not been paying any taxes as bills are not in his name, so has gone under the radar.

You can report him online anonymously via this link;

www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/reporting-tax-evasion

It also begs the question as to why the current tenants are opening mail addressed (incorrectly) to you...

Aw you're easily pleased.

I'd be bloody livid! What if it wasn't paid on time, your credit rating would be screwed, what else is he using your name for? I'd demand a copy of all bills sent to the property and looking into the fraud /ID theft considerations.

Was it British Gas who told you this? I’m guessing landlord dodginess is the most likely explanation, but BG are not above messing up on this scale themselves in my experience.

if the bill is in his name he'd presumably be liable for the standing charge whilst the property is empty, so he decided to fraudulently use your name.

If it wasn't a direct debit it would be easy for anyone to pay the bill, don't you just go into a newsagents to a paypoint and pay it. DM used to do this with her phone bill.

So when you left the property & phoned BG to give them your final meter reading & close your account why didn’t they do it.

They usually sent you a final account don't they either by email or letter

How bizarre! Although I have to say as the tenant it's rather in your interests to contact the energy company when you move out to avoid such issues!

Every tenant I've had for the last few years has done this and it just makes sense to protect yourself. It's a bit lax expecting your landlord to do this.. did you take meter readings and photographs? That's pretty standard from our end.

Good point lightasthebreeze but why on earth would the current tenants go somewhere to pay a bill in someone else’s name?

Do you mean each time his tenants left instead of putting the bill into his own name he put it into your name instead?

I'd be concerned about what else your name was being used for OP.

The name on the account used to pay the bill or set up a direct debit has to be in the name of the person whose name the account is in.
That's not the case - our bill is in DH's name, but comes out of my sole account.

The landlord must have paid the bills himself because surely the new tenants would want to set up direct debit, its a right pain going to a newsagents to pay it and they would surely think it was odd, but then why did he not do this with OP.

I would check any other bills that you had there like water and phone

Maybe he is paying the bills in cash from money that tenants pay him for the rent in cash too, so no need for a direct debit.

Report this fraud op. What else is in your name. You need this registered with the police