ChefDude

My gf has received an electric bill for the property she (and then we) lived at previously.

We've been at our present place for 16 months and this bill is the first sign of any electric bill for the previous place. She was there for 2 years and never saw any bill.

looking at the tennancy agreement, it says she was liable to pay all bills and it does specify electricity too.

the electric company doesn't know where we live. the letters have been hand written forwarded by the previous landlord to us at our present address.

What are the options?
Do we have to pay?
Do we have a right to say "**** off, why is there only a bill appearing now? you must be joking!"?

The Chief

If you used the electric i'd say pay up. are you trying to pull a fast on ehere?

How much are we talking about?

Vapid

It's obvious you are liable to pay but if you had a devious mind it would be very easy to get out of paying.

ChefDude

980 quid.

I'd like to avoid it

Vapid

The landlord will just give the electricity co your new address although if one of my tenants asked nicely I wouldn't do that as the liability wouldn't pass onto me.

The Chief

Hmmmm if it was like 100 quid i'd say pay - this somewhat makes it different
i.e. you may not be able to afford it

brybusa

Similar happened to me around a year. i didnt pay the last bill, turned up on the door mat the day i left, i binned it and havent heard anything since..then again, the previous landlady didnt know where id moved to...

Id say your probably going to have to end up paying it as the landlord will provide the company your new address, if he hasnt already, and they'll chase you directly..

If they do, id def try the ""**** off, why is there only a bill appearing now? you must be joking!"?" line first...

stilover

If you used it, pay for it. Why do you feel you can use electricity, move out, and leave it for you landlord to pay?

ChefDude

stilover, ordinarily i'd agree, but my gf did chase them a couple of times for a bill and one never turned up, regardless of the fact they said they'd send one.

tbh, with the not paying and not getting billed we kind of forgot about it.

if i've got to pay it, i've got to, but principles be damned with all the lazy b@stards out there living off the 2K in tax i pay every month, the fact that i have to pay for zone 1+2 tube travel on my oyster when i rarely go out of zone 1, being made to feel slightly guilty for not paying a tv licence when i don't watch anything but dvds, etc, etc.

</soapbox>

davegtt

Chef, its your girlfriends bill, let her pay it, job done

Vapid

It isn't for the landlord to pay if the tenant defaults. No liability whatsoever.

If you were an unscrupulous property owner it would be perfectly possible to say get out of a bill by just claiming that it was rented to Mr A Badman and any charges for services are their responsibility. If you were really dishonest you could have done this for years and got away with paying no bills whatsoever and used the money saved to fund the purchase of say, another property.

Spoon

Mr Property Owner wouldn't have a clue where you'd moved to, for £100 that is. I make that a saving of £880.

Having said that, if you used the electricity then pay up you tight fúcker and stop letting everyone else subsidise you.

King RA

If you pay 2k in TAX alone then you can damn well afford a £980 bill, and to be honest no-one here gives a **** that you have to pay extra on your oyster and don't watch TV

Hanley

2k a month in tax and you're squibbling over 980 quid

ChefDude

look after the pennies

i think we're pretty resigned to paying it, but if there's a no-risk way out, then fair play!!

i don't see many halos amongst you lot lol!

///\oo/\\\

Was the deal that the electricity was to be billed to the landlord and recharged, or was it to be billed direct to your girlfriend?

Liability will be dependent upon the contractual terms, and if the elctric co has any supplimentary claim against the landlord he will have a right of recovery against your girlfriend.

I recall that there is something in the legislation surrounding the supply of utilities that makes it the user's responsibility to organise payment even if the utility co doesn't chase, but I could be wrong on that point.

The risk you take is that the electric co pass the matter to a debt collection agency who obtain a judgement against your girlfriend for what will be well over £1,000 by then.