Check if you’re responsible for paying an energy bill

You usually have to pay for any gas or electricity you’ve used - even if you haven’t signed a contract with an energy supplier.

You shouldn't have to pay for any energy you didn't use. However, there are some situations where a supplier might ask you to pay for somebody else.

If your energy supplier didn’t send you any bills for over a year, you might only have to pay for the energy you’ve used in the last year. Check what your supplier can charge after a year.

If someone else put your name on the bill

If someone signed up to a contract in your name without telling you, you might not have to pay the bill.

You need to tell the supplier that sent the bill as soon as possible. Tell them you didn’t agree to a contract and that you might have been a victim of fraud. If the supplier has made a mistake they should be able to fix it for you. 

If you’re a tenant you should check if your landlord has given your name to the supplier and told them you’ve moved in.

If you still think it might be fraud you should tell the police by using the Action Fraud website.

Action Fraud will give you a reference number, which you should keep.

Contact the Citizens Advice consumer service to work out if you have to pay the bill.

If you’ve moved house

What you have to pay depends on if the bill is for before you moved in, or after you moved out.

If the bill is for somebody who has died

If you’re the ‘executor’ or ‘administrator’ you need to let the energy suppliers know about the death. You should also take meter readings and give them to the suppliers. 

The executor or administrator is in charge of handling the financial affairs of the person who has died. An executor is named in the will. The court appoints an administrator if there isn’t an executor.

Check how to deal with the financial affairs of someone who has died.

Energy used before the person died

If your name is also on the energy account you have to pay the energy bills. If you're unsure, check to see if your name is on the bill or contact the supplier. 

If the person who died was the only name on the account, the supplier shouldn’t ask you to pay the bill - even if you're a close relative. 

The executor or administrator pays the bills using money left by the person who has died. If they haven’t left enough money, the bills might not get paid.

Energy used after the person died

You need to pay if:

• you’re living at the property

• the property was left to you in the will - even if you’re not living there

You should contact the supplier and tell them to put the account in your name.

If the bill is for somebody who has gone into care

They have to pay their energy bills and other debts if they're capable of making decisions. This is called having 'mental capacity'.

If the person in care has lost mental capacity a 'deputy' or ‘attorney’ will usually pay the bills for them. A deputy is somebody approved by the court to act for the person in care. It might be a family member. An attorney is somebody the person in care asked to act for them before they lost mental capacity.

Check how to become a deputy for somebody who has lost mental capacity.

Energy used before the person went into care

You only have to pay the energy bills if your name is also on the energy account. If you're unsure, check to see if your name is on the bill or call the supplier. The supplier shouldn’t ask you to pay the bill of somebody who has gone into care - even if you're a close relative.

If you're the deputy or the attorney, you can use the money of the person in care to pay the bills. You should also let the suppliers know and cancel contracts if necessary. You don't have to pay for anything yourself.

Energy used after the person went into care

If you’re living at the property, you need to pay. 

You should contact the supplier and tell them to put the account in your name.

If you think the bill is for the wrong meter

You can check if your meter is the same as the meter on the bill.

If you pay your landlord for energy

You don’t have to pay the energy supplier as well.

Tell the supplier you’re not responsible for paying the bill. They should send the bill to your landlord instead.

If you’re not sure whether your rent covers energy bills, check the written statement of your occupation contract. If you don’t have a copy of the written statement, ask your landlord for a copy.

If you can't agree with your landlord about who pays the bills, you can get advice from the Citizens Advice consumer service.

If you think your landlord is overcharging you for energy

If you’re worried that you’re being asked for too much money, check what your landlord can charge you for energy.

If someone won’t pay their share

You’ll usually have to pay the whole bill and try to get the money back from them afterwards.

If you’ll struggle to pay the bill, your supplier has to help you find a solution - find out how to talk to your supplier if you’re struggling to pay the bill.

If the other person won’t pay their share, you could take legal action against them - called ’making a small claim’. Legal action can be expensive and stressful, so you should decide if it’s worth making a small claim before you start.