Thanks for the reply It's Barclays and they were in the process of changing my address for me to my Australian address when it hit me that it would go on my file so I didn't go ahead with it. Maybe I should try to check my credit file to make sure everything is off and there are no CCJs (I'm pretty certain there isn't)? I really don't want to be hounded by them here. My only problem is I'm not sure how I can verify who I am? I recall they ask for a drivers licence which I misplaced years ago, or they can send something to your address, which I'm no longer at.

Just before I left, so only a few months short of the 6 years, there was no CCJ on my file. So does that mean they can't contact me at all if it is SB?

Hi everyone, I have some debt in the UK which is probably close to 8 years old (it was just under 6 years when I left the UK so still on my credit file at that point). I have now moved to Australia. I wanted to update my bank account with my UK bank - to which I have no debt owing - so they could send me updated bank cards and statements etc however it has just hit me that they will update my last known address to my new Australian address on my credit file. My debt in the UK is so old... . am I at risk of being harassed in Australia for 8 year old debt if collections agencies get hold of my Australian details? I haven't checked if it has come off my file as I am unable to identify myself from over here (and I'm not that bothered about it). My UK bank account is not so important to me that I wish to open myself up to harassment, I don't really need a UK account, if it comes to it but I'd like to keep it if I can.

I know this is not a solution, but if the gas is on, just use it. Whomever has the supply rights to the property will eventually cotton on, and send a vacant consumption letter, asking them to open an account. If your daughter puts a reasonable amount aside each month for her gas, when she gets a bill, and eventually she will (for us we do it in a matter of 6-8 weeks to the best of my knowledge- I've only worked in the industry 3 months ). she will be able to pay it off. Can you speak to the energy ombudsman? Or your local MP? Someone has screwed up, sorry, I'm not sure where else to direct you, but perhaps one of those two can?

Can you find out who the distributor is? Perhaps that is who the Independent Transporter is. In Oz, the distributor maintains the lines, does the meter reads, sorts out any power failures etc. They are not normally the supplier. Normally they do entire areas (over here, often whole states). They will be able to tell you the MPRN. BG should be able to tell you who it is in the area, just by giving the postcode.

If it is anything like it is in OZ, it is not uncommon that we can find say an elec meter on the elc database but not the gas on the gas database, I've seen elecs registered as one address and gas as a completely different address in a different postcode (say on a suburb border on a corner plot) because of how the meter was registered.

Hmmmm I am not sure what an independent transporter is, we don't use that terms in Oz. That being said, we can search for a meter serial number as well as a MIRN (MPRN in the UK) in our database, I am sure the UK must have the same capability. Could you call BG and ask to speak to a team leader? It seems inconceivable that the UK meter database doesn't allow to search for a serial number, as well as an address and a MPRN. Is the gas actually on?

I work for an energy supplier, albeit in a different country. Often new builds will be in the meter database system under a lot number as opposed to a street number.... have BG checked fir that? If that fails, I would speak to the builder and get the MPRN from them, hopefully they would have that as I presume they would have been the ones to get the meter in in the first place. I know it sounds odd but if it is the same in the UK as it is in Oz, Gas and Elec are different entities and it comes down to how the meter was registered. BG (or anyone else) won't be able to find the meter in the system if the address the OP's daughter is giving is different to how the meter is registered.

Hello again, Thank you for all your help with my last enquiry. I have a few more questions now, if anyone can help? I'm now in Oz. before leaving the UK in Feb I checked my credit history. There were a few defaults on there but no CCJs (phew!), though I guess something could have happened between then and now. My last debt will drop off my file in April 2014. Hubby and I are about to apply for a mortgage in Oz. I just wanted to confirm that my UK credit rating does not matter in Oz (I have maintained an excellent rating here for the past 15 years while living in the UK), and that no one will be able to come after the property here (if we get it) to chase a fairly small UK debt. My finances are still separated from my husband in the UK, and also here in Oz until the mortgage application goes through, when we will be linked. My parents will be acting as a guarantor for the Oz mortgage so I don't want my UK debt to cause problems for them. From what I can tell, and what was helpfully said above, everything here should be fine, but I felt I should check first. Thanks for all and any help

Hi everyone I have just discovered this forum and I have a few questions. You will have to excuse my ignorance I am afraid as I am guilty of burying my head under the sand with regards to my debts, so I may ask some stupid questions. Just over 6 years ago I had a number of debts, probably totalling around £12k, on various credit cards, an overdraft and a personal loan. I was young and silly and as my boyfriend of 5 years had a rubbish credit rating, I took loans out for both of us in my name, which he swore he would help pay back after we split, which as you can imagine, he didn't. I still had every intention of paying however I then got made redundant from my job. I did actually take out PPI for the larger loans, I contacted my bank, explained I had no income, and I wanted them to make the payments for me for the relevant loans as per the PPI agreement. Well, it turns out I was one of those mis-sold PPI, as I had been in my job for less than a year and therefore the PPI agreement was invalidated (although they knew I had been in this job for less than a year when I took out both the loan and the PPI). Furthermore, they were very aggressive with me over the phone and essentially told me that I had to pay and I should borrow off friends or family etc etc. I also caught them in a number of lies, which they were using to threaten me. At the end of the day, I couldnt afford to pay back the minimun payments, and I was angry about the whole PPI thing, I just didn't pay them. But as I knew I would ruin my credit rating by not paying these loans - there was no point paying any of them, especially as I was unemployed anyway! A silly attitude to have, but I was broke, fed up and depressed. I proceeded to get lots of threatening letters and phone calls, which I ignored, and I moved around a lot over the following 6 years - nothing to do with the debts. I never once had a bailiff turn up. I eventually stopped opening the letters at all and many were returned to sender I presume by the company that manages the apartments where I have lived as the mail was unclaimed. Most of the debt companies have given up, although every now and then I will get a letter in the post. I am at the 4th residence since I last acknowledged the debt, so I guess they're only hoping that I am at my current address. I have not so much as checked my credit rating in the last 6 years, and for all I know I have at least 1 CCJ against me. I am now married to someone who is aware of my debts but we have been careful to not have any kind of joint finances, he owns a property (which he rents out), and I don't want them trying to take it off of him. He has an unusual surname, whereas mine is common so I am not even changing my name in the UK, as it would be much easier to do a trace on the new name, in the UK or abroad. I am also on maternity leave at the moment, I am on statutory pay, which is virtually nothing, and have no valuables other than my engagement ring and my mac. All our savings are in my husbands name in his bank account. I'm moving to Australia (dual national) in Feb next year. By October next year, 6 years would have passed since I acknowledged any of my debts, and as far as I am aware, my credit rating in the UK should then be clean. My credit rating in Australia is perfect. I guess my questions are: If I do have a CCJ for the UK do I have anything to worry about? We only have 3 more months left in the UK, what is the worst that could happen in that time if someone decided to do something about it. Is it worth me going on Experian to check the status of my credit history? I'm not acknowledging any debt by doing this am I? Can a CCJ follow me to Oz? Is there anything I should do (or not do) before I go to prevent any debt collectors knowing I have left the UK and start searching for me abroad? I.e I am wary about telling our utility companies or current bank (of which I don't owe any money) our Australian address to forward on final bills in case I get tracked down that way. I am nervous of being tracked down in Oz, not that I am really bothered by their threats as from reading this forum it doesn't look like any debt is enforceable in Oz anyway and if a UK debt shows up on my credit file I can get it removed and also complain - but we will be staying with my parents when we get to Oz and I don't want a record of any dodgy debt on their home address. I think I should just keep my head down for the next year when I hit 6 years and then all will be okay? Any suggestions would be great! And sorry for the idiotic questions.