my feckless brother, an unpaid leccy bill, using my address - should I be worried

[bigmouthstrikesagain]

My brother is a student at the moment about to (re)start his final year. He has obviously been in shared accomm and during the summer has been sofa surfing so used my address for the final utility bills for his last house. The gas was in credit but owes £250 on lec.

I have now received a third warning letter from the company and am concerned as he is using our address that if he has trouble rounding up the owed money from his old housemates (currently scattered around the globe) that our address will be the one getting the poor credit rating.

In process of contacting said brother but does anyone know if we will be involved or if it will be db who is pursued - this is purely a contact address after all.

Don't want to give him a undeserved roasting - but am happy to if required 'tis my duty as older sister.

big sis bump

Well I don't mind him using my address as a contact - as he is of no fixed abode till sept but he did not ask first which is typically thoughtless of him.

I just get so bored of being the stable sensible one I have lectured him and it makes not one jot of difference.He agrees with me then does what the heck he likes

If you can afford to loan the money to him, I'd pay the bill personally. I wouldn't want my own credit rating damaged but I wouldn't want my brother's damaged either. [Speaks as someone who has given younger uni brother money!].

Thanks Croky - that is a generous idea - but -

No way am I lending him the money - he is 27 not 18 and he has been working throughout studying - if he spends all his money on beer then I am not subsidising that! Besides it is for a house shared by 6 so it is not all his debt!

Electricity companies use the term "joint and severally" which means if they can only locate your brother HE is liable for the full bill.

They all share responsibility but when all is said and done if they locate two of them they just want the bill paid, they do not care that Mr X has paid "his share"

I would not want someone using my address even as a contact address.

Your brother is obviously living "somewhere" is all his post coming to you or just the stuff he is trying to avoid? I was shocked when I read he was 27!!!!

Thank you for replying Fizzy.

My brother is renting shared houses during termtime and in the summer break he has been staying at different friends and family houses ('sofa surfing')until he starts a new flatshare in Sept. He has been working a various festivals as well so he really hasn't an address for post at the moment.

I do mind him using my address if he is trying to avoid bills but I assume he is trying to contact his old housemates and extract their shares. As he is not answering his mobile I am not sure how to get hold of him to find out. When I do find him he is in for it though as I am less than impressed!

Does he have a new address for September yet? If he does I would contact the company, tell them that you are his sister and he was only using your address as a forwarding address and then give them his new address.

I thought that bad credit could be linked to an address as well as an individual but could be completely wrong. It could be worth contacting a company like Experian and getting your credit rating as you can always then sort it out if necessary. Actually if I were you I would also ring CAB as they are usually very helpful.

Thank you Arnbuthnot - I will be passing on his new address as soon as i have it - he is avoiding me I think