How to prevent SSE (Scotland) from charging me ex-flatmate bill ?

In the US, a utility like SSE doesn't care who was cooking what. They just want to get paid.

Before you do anything else, figure out how much you can afford to pay. Sit down with bank statements and a calculator and figure out where you can cut and where you can take some cash from, in order to pay the bill now.

1) If they work anything at all like bill collection in the United States, you can probably negotiate in some manner. In the US, you generally have to be straightforward. They don't want to hear your life story. It's more like, "This bill is for $3,000 which I can't afford. Can I pay you $1,500 over the course of the calendar year?" And then you see what they have to say. It's a negotiation, so always lead with your most favorable terms. If you could pay $2,000 in 6 months, then this opening salvo makes sense. You have room to maneuver.

2) Maybe - you'd have to check the laws of your area (yeah, hiring a lawyer is probably a good idea). In the US, it's more likely that your future wages would be garnished. So if you got a job in a year (or you already have a job), a certain amount would be taken out via payroll deduction until the debt is satisfied. Again, check your area.

If they can take from one bank account, operate under the assumption that they can pull from both.

3) I don't know how credit works outside of the US. But in the US, there are usually set times for when older negatives roll off your account (these would be negative details such as bankruptcies, liens, court cases, and outstanding debts). Also in the US, the amount of time a negative stays on your credit report has nothing to do with any Statute of Limitations. Hence a bad mark of some sort could fall off your credit report but you could still be charged or sued, or you could still be paying.

Yet again, check your area.

And next time, get contact details for your roommate(s) that are as ironclad as possible, and maybe even get their name put on the bill.

Is it unfair the SSE is only going after you? Yes, but since yours is the only name on the bill, yours is the only name they know of.

If what you say about contacting them for a final bill and you paid the full amount quoted is correct, then that is the end of the matter and any mistake is theirs.

UK companies are required by law to keep records of transactions for six years, so it can be checked.

As Jespah says, who was cooking what or how many occupants is irrelevant.

As you no longer reside at the premisses, or even in the UK, there is no action they can take to force payment as they would have to prove a debt in court but have no means to collect payment.

Therefore the only 'black list' you could be on is one within the company.

No monies can be removed from your bank account without a garnishment being approved by a court - which is a long and expensive process and would require them to inform you beforehand.

However, I would suggest that to settle the matter, you write pointing out the 'fact' that you requested the final bill (which you paid) but as a token of goodwill you would agree an ex gratia payment (of say £100) as a full and final settlement.

You may be pleasantly surprised at their response as any payment received is better than none.

There is a blacklist, it’s called one’s credit status. Having unpaid bills affects one’s credit status and can make it harder to take out loans in future.

G'day English, I'ma please to see your recent brush with the authorities has not dampened your enthusiasm for lively social discourse.

I hope you and the boys are in good health and your spirits have risen since your soccer team won for the first time in ten matches.

As for ones credit status; that can only be adversely affected by a County Court Judgement (CCJ) for an outstanding lawful debt.

The OP states he asked for the final bill and paid in full. It is up to the company to prove any deficit. If I say you owe me €5. I cannot add you to a 'blacklist' arbitrarily as it has to be done through a court of law.

Although as a debtor, it would be harder, or at least more expensive to obtain finance in the future... by his living outside the UK, it should not be problematical.

It doesn’t have to go to court to end up on one’s credit record.

I had a disagreement with Virgin Media which meant I cancelled my contract with them and went elsewhere. I received a final bill telling me to pay by a certain date.

A week later I received a copy of the bill but they’d changed the payment date and wanted it a fortnight earlier.

I refused to pay on the revised date instead paying on the original date.

I still ended up with a late payment mark on my credit score that was there for three years.

Now I probably could have taken action to remove this mark but it would cost money that I didn’t have.