Sorry about the late response, I've not been around for a couple of weeks! Thanks for all the help. Unfortunately we didn't take readings...it's the first time I've lived anywhere really and my inexperience got the better of me here...I won't be making that mistake again. I've never actually been sent a bill, and the odd thing is that after the one phone call a few weeks ago I haven't heard back from them. I was told they would call me back in a few days so that I could get in contact with my former housemates, but they haven't. They left me no contact number or reference, only said that I would be called back. So at the moment I've assumed that they've realised it's probably not worth asking me for the money...if they've got my phone number it's also entirely possible they've got my NI number and can see I'm on income support. Or maybe they've tracked down the freeloading housemate. Good luck to them as I certainly can't get a response from him. I'm not sure if they were sending bills to the old tenants as we didn't open the old tenants' mail...we returned it all to sender informing them we were new tenants, or disposed of it if it was junk. Thank you so much for helping me out here! It's a bit of a nervy time having not heard from them in 3 weeks, after they told me they would call me ages ago!

I really doubt it could have gone to a DCA as the company's first contact with me personally was only a few days ago. Yeah I'd much rather deal with the supplier to avoid extra charges on top of this already ludicrous bill! Yeah I'll just have to explain that to the supplier, and say that if they want the money faster they'll just have to chase the others too, as no matter how much I get threatened, I can't materialise money out of nowhere. Thanks guys

I'd really like to avoid a CCJ if possible...do you have any idea how much they would accept as a monthly payment if they know that my income support pays me £200 a month?

I don't live at the address anymore no, but the bill is for the time that I was there and so it's fair enough I would have to pay a third. I just don't want to be lumbered with the entire bill! And thanks guys, I'll check the electrol and I guess all I can do is be as honest with the supplier as possible and give them all the information that I have. Unfortunately it's just not in their nature to take pity on people who have been taken advantage of...theyre only interested in the money. That's why I think that if I can convince them it's in their best interests to chase him, they might just do it.

Thanks Clare - sorry for mispelling your name before! I know that his permanent address is in Suffolk, but aside from that I have only his name and an old mobile number which he doesn't pick up. He 'works' as a guitarist in a band that tours Europe quite often so he's not always in the country. Do you think that they would let the debt go to a DCA even if I've explained that I'm on income support and can only afford a certain amount each month?

P.S Just to clarify - I am actually on income support. Having read my post back through it seemed as though I was inferring that I would lie to the supplier. Hopefully they can then take affordable repayments

As I said Calre and Zazen, I am fully aware that it's not the supplier's problem, but in the interest of justice is there anything I can do personally to get money from the missing flatmate? When you say it's a separate matter to get the money from my flatmate - I know this, but how do I go about doing that? He is aware of the situation but doesn't respond to calls or emails, and I don't have his address. I think my only option is to tell the supplier I don't have that amount of money and as I'm actually on income support, I can pay small installments but it's far more worth their while chasing the guy who stole my money as they literally won't be able to get that sum out of me. That's right Matt, but even if I did know where he was, the supplier has chosen to pursue me and so I just don't know what difference it would make. Thanks though...I think the best thing is to explain that because I lost my job they will have a very hard time recovering that debt from me, and so it's in their best interests to chase the disappearing tenant.

I moved out of a flat in February where for the whole year we weren't billed for our gas or electricity. I had written to every company posting mail to old tenants through our door informing them that we were new tenants and therefore needed new bills. We received no correspondence over our gas or electricity bill and assumed that this was being taken care of by the landlord, or that we were to be sent a bill at a later date. Just recently I got a phone call from the gas and electricity company saying that we owed a total of £1800 (?!!!!) for the year, and that as all three of our names were on the bill (the estate agent must have passed our names on) we were all liable to pay the debt. Now, this would be fair enough, if it wasnt for one of my flatmates doing a runner without paying 3 months rent. This is about equivalent to a third of the gas/electricity bill, and I need the gas company to chase him instead as he basically stole money from me (when we had to pay his rent) in the first place and should be made to pay this bill. I fully understand that this is irrelevant to the energy supplier, but I was just wondering if there was any way I could bring him into the equation as it's only just that he pays this bill instead of me being saddled with it. Even if I could get him to pay a third, that would be great and save me the threats of bad credit I have no idea how the supplier got my number, and I wasn't previously concerned because the last I heard about this unpaid bill was that it would be forwarded to the address of the flatmate who stole from me. I'm not trying to evade the debt as I know all 3 of us are legally liable, but in the interest of justice, how do I avoid picking up the entire bill when I've already been ripped off?