British gas

[antshouse]

Hi, I'm hoping to get some advice on here to help my son. Bit long sorry.

He moved into a house share with 3 workmates 18 months ago. The house was owned by the parents of one of the boys and they had left the area but their son wanted to stay as he was working here.

The owner came down monthly and collected £200 rent money,cash, from each of them. The owners had moved out leaving the house in a state but the youngsters weren't bothered. No contracts were signed and they understood that the rent money included the bills.

A few months later the owner's son moved in with a girlfriend and the owner installed another lodger, an older man that the others didn't know.

The 3 remaining original housemates started to look for another house share as things weren't working out.

After moving out my son received a bill from British Gas for the time at the property.

When he queried it, as he hadn't agreed to be the bill payer, he was told that the owner had put the bill in his name after he moved out (his name was even spelt wrongly). He would have to prove that he wasn't. He certainly hadn't agreed to be responsible for the energy bills in a multiple occupancy house.

He's been to the CRB and written letters to British Gas explaining the situation but with no response.

This week he's received a bailiff letter and is at his wits end.

Any ideas on what to do next would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks for reading.

not got a clue but bumping for you

Thank you.

Its a bit scary, not sure I shouldn't just pay the bloody bill for him...

You need to find out whose name the CTAX was in. If it was in the name of the owners as a HIMO, then I would get British Gas to refer the bill back to them. Who paid for the electricity and the phone? You can also check Land registry for the details of the owners to ensure the bill is sent to the right place. I would also be inclined to contact a solicitor and the Revenue to see if they knew the house was rented out, as the Revenue don't like undeclared income.

You need to make sure that your son is on none of the other bills for the property, and if he is, then that everyone is also being billed under joint and several liability, although if your son is the only one they can get hold of, he will be held liable for the lot. Ensure they all know he has moved out as well.

Thank you for that. Would the council tell me that?

I'm suspect it wasn't registered as multiple occupancy when they moved in one of the plug sockets was hanging off the wall and I bought the fire alarms.

At least his new house share seems above board and he has a contract.

Good idea about checking the other bills haven't been put in his name.

Doh, meant smoke detectors not fire alarms.

Just meant that it look as though it had complied with any regulations.

British Gas need to get a County Court Judgement against your son before they can get bailiffs to visit. The letter is probably threatening bailiffs action to scare him into paying - I'd suggest he takes this latest letter back to the CAB to get further advice and make a complaint to British Gas and escalate the complaint to the Energy Ombudsman if necessary.

Don't pay the bill for him!

Thank you for that advice.

I will be getting him to go back with this letter to the CAB. British gas had been sympathetic enough when he phoned and told him to put everything in writing. He hadn't had a reply and I think he assumed that the problem had gone away.... This latest development has shook him.

Good thinking to complain to the ombudsman too. It seems odd that someone can nominate another person to pay a bill and then BG expect that person to prove that they hadn't agreed to it.