Utility Bills

Hey everyone! I've crossed the pond and now in England as of 2 days ago and wouldn't you know it, it's raining!! LOL

My DH called BT today to see about adding my name to the bill but they said they cannot do that. Is this true? Also when they say they want 20 statements from 5 different sources for the ILR, do they have to have both our names on them? or can it have his name on 3 of them and mine on 2?

Call BT again.  Seriously.  And then again, and again once more for good measure, until you finally get a CSR who knows what they're doing.  Repeat for every other utility company.

It just takes a bit of perseverance - BT finally agreed to address our bills to Mr DH in care of me. 

It's also okay if you have mail without joint names on - but you need to essentially have twice as much.  A good rule of thumb is to try and save EITHER one bill or statement from each month with both your names OR two from each month, one in each name.

I seem to remember them saying they charge something for having both names?

I have had problems with BT in this regard, and I think is at least one other person on this board who has had a similar problem.

I've also had other issues with BT's customer service people not being able to fulfill a simple request and turning it into a nightmare, as have other people I know.

If you can get enough evidence of cohabitation without the BT bill, my advice would be not to bother, which is what I decided to do. You and your husband must have more productive things to do with your time than spending hours on the phone with BT getting frustrated.

BT wouldn't put me on the bill, so the bill is just in DH's name. 

I know others on the board have had luck with this, but they wouldn't do it for us.

We did get BT to add my name (although they did it a bit of a funny looking way due to 'character limits' and mispelled my name repeatedly before finally getting it right earlier this year).

Only one person's name can be on the actual account but it can be addressed to both of you. We got mine added relatively hassle free (I guess we got lucky) and not it just comes to Mr. A Lastname & Mrs K Lastname though legally, he's the account holder.

Check out the ILR sticky int he visas page.

You don't need to get your name on everything, so just stick to getting it on those bills which make it easy.

Vicky

Only one person's name can be on the actual account but it can be addressed to both of you. We got mine added relatively hassle free (I guess we got lucky) and not it just comes to Mr. A Lastname & Mrs K Lastname though legally, he's the account holder.

So is it acceptable to have it show up at Mr & Mrs. Lastname? I was thinking it would not be since technically the in laws are also of the same Mr & Mrs Lastname. I thought perhaps with the ILR it has to have the first names on the bill? I don't want this to turn into a problem 2 years down the line.

BT wouldn't put me on the bill, so the bill is just in DH's name. 

I know others on the board have had luck with this, but they wouldn't do it for us.

That's irritating! I mean why do it for some and not others? They need to be consistant.

I have had problems with BT in this regard, and I think is at least one other person on this board who has had a similar problem.

I've also had other issues with BT's customer service people not being able to fulfill a simple request and turning it into a nightmare, as have other people I know.

If you can get enough evidence of cohabitation without the BT bill, my advice would be not to bother, which is what I decided to do. You and your husband must have more productive things to do with your time than spending hours on the phone with BT getting frustrated.

No kidding! My husband was on the phone with them, then because he had to get ready for work, I had to deal with them. Just kept getting transfered from one person to another. I was ready to kill someone. Couldn't understand why they can't simply just add my name to the existing account. It's not this difficult in America.... boo hoo  :\\\'(

BT are idiots at times with that.  We had both our names on our bill for ages until we added their internet onto our bill, then it reverted to just my husband's name (the accout itself was in my name) and it took several months off calling to get it right.     Worst comes to worse sent BT an email through their website spelling out exactly what you want doing (I think I ended up doing this in the end).

Some utility bills will only come addressed in one name though.  I know our E-on bill is like that because its an online account (or used to be).  Its part of their stipulations that the bill will only be addressed to the account holder - no other names.

Good luck!