Ignored gass bills in my name!

[Altmemia]

I used to live with 5 friends in a rented flat. Eventualy the mess got to me so I moved out and got my own place.

When we first moved in we decided someone would deal with a certain bill each so I put my name on the electric bill, someone else put there's on the broadband bill and I also dealt with tv licensing. No one dealt with the gas bill and every time we got a threatining letter from the supplier I'd get everyone together to go down to a pay point and pay it.

Eventualy when our boiler broke I put my name on that account as well in order to get it fixed.

The month I was moving out all my stuff and dealing with my new place I decided to cancel the gas and when I phoned I was told that on payment of an outstanding bill they would freeze the account. Someone didn't pay though and I have no way of knowing who it was as we all paid 1/6th of the bill seperatly over the phone. So the gas bills continued in my name after i'd moved out. They recieved lots of letters about unpayed bills but did nothing about it, waiting on the most unreliable member of the flat to deal with it. He apparently phoned last week to change the account name to his but did nothing about the bill, shifting the blame to me, when they asked him if he knew where to contact me he even went as far as to lie and say they didn't know me well. I've known him for 4 years and even taken trips with him. I went round yesterday to visit (14/10/2010) and found a letter in there hall addressed to me dated 6/10/2010 that reads "DEBT COLLECTION, unpaid bill £83.44" the letter goes on to say there will be a visit to collect the bill and that I'll be charged court costs in excess of £250. I decided then that enough was enough and I'd have to sort it so I planned on paying it today and charging those who wouldn't pay back their share through the small claims court. When I checked the bill this morning though it had risen to more than £281.

 

Please can you give me some advice, people are telling me the supplier have no way of finding me and that I should ignore it ( as some people have bills dating from 2006 at old flats ). I don't want to ignore it but I blatently refuse to pay that amount of money as I can't afford it. I should maybe point out that as we signed a tenancy agreement with the landlord there is proof I was not the only person staying at the address and that bank statements can be provided to show I was someone who did pay his 1/6th.

 

Altemia

[Enforcer_Staffs]

Your debt may be passed to a DCA who have a whole catalogue of ways to trace you simplest would be do a reference check against your Credit record at your supply address and if you have apply for any credit since this will also show togethjer with your new address. My advise is pay the debt as tracing will cost as much as the debt you can run but don't make any applications for credit, have a bank account as it will show.

[Altmemia]

I was afraid of something like that. How would you suggest I go about getting my money back from my so called friends including myself and the current number in the flat it's going to be about £40 each

[Altmemia]

Just off the phone with hydro electric, shouted at them that even though they had an email address and contact telephone number they had never tried to get in touch with me by any other means than post. Which I didn't think was right under such serious cirumstances. They told me they had made a mistake. They took a meter reading on the 16th October and have apparently been over chargng me and that I should expect a cheque for £561.74 in the post.

 

Was bloody worried for a while though, put me through hell.

 

Dave,

[Enforcer_Staffs]

The only real way is write to them and apease to the their better nature failing that small claims court.

 

The problem is the contract is with and the utility company as you was only person named.

This is a mistake made by a lot of flat mates and when things break down your lumbered with the debt.

I will always insist all parties are named on the account supplers will say that they will pursue one person as cheaper but the contract is with all parties with the suppliers and not as they would let you believe a third party dispute you need to sort out.

 

Good news on the refund front