Your liability when your name is on the bill

Your liability when your name is on the bill

• Electricity
• Gas

Electricity

The person named on a bill is not always liable to pay. Sometimes only one person is actually named on a bill, even if several people signed the notice requiring a supply or the contract or no one signed anything. For example, suppliers sometimes ask outgoing occupiers the names of the next occupiers. You may find that your name is on a bill without you ever having had any contact with the supplier. A person who is named on the bill has sole liability for the bill if s/he alone gave written notice requiring a supply or s/he alone made a phone request for the supply or other authorised and recognised means to acknowledge liability. Otherwise, the name on the bill is only evidence of who might be liable.

Gas

If you have a deemed contract with British Gas (see here), you need to check that you are liable under the provisions for deciding who becomes a customer with a deemed contract (see here).

If you have entered into a contract with a gas supplier and your name is on the bill, you are liable under the terms of the contract (see here).