A life without bills may sound like a dream - but could prove a nightmare

Fuel companies are regularly lambasted for sending out inaccurate bills. But scores of customers each year receive no bills at all, however much energy they consume.

Unlimited free fuel sounds fabulous, but suppliers have the right to chase you for up to six years for the cost of the gas and electricity you have used. This is the fear haunting Caroline (not her real name), a public relations executive from Battersea, south west London, who lived for two years in a flat with gas central heating and cooker, without ever receiving a bill. Caroline, 30, says: 'When I moved into the flat, which was part of a house converted into four apartments, I realised after a few months that I wasn't receiving any gas bills. I had tried to find out about all my utility suppliers before completion of the purchase but didn't receive any information from the vendor about the gas company.

'I did think at the time this was a bit odd but it was not until after I moved in that I realised why he couldn't give me that information - he had never received a bill either. He confirmed this when he came round to pick up some tomato plants he had left behind.'

Caroline rang every gas supplier she could think of in London and they all told her there was no gas supply to her property. She says: 'I ended up calling Transco, the gas meter company, which told me the same thing. I got so frustrated I rang back, turned on the gas ring on my hob and held the phone to it so they could hear the hissing of the gas. Still no joy. They suggested I contact a gas supplier to get my supply switched on - even though it was already on. So I gave up.'

Caroline expects Transco will eventually find out there is a gas supply to the flat and that a giant bill will appear. If it does, she says, 'I will argue strongly it is not my problem as I tried my best to find out who to pay.'

Utility firms have the right to pursue householders for payment even if they have not signed up with them. Legally, you have, in effect, entered into a contract with a supplier simply by using the fuel.

The consumer watchdog Energywatch says there are several reasons why a meter might disappear off the radar. These include meter numbers and plot numbers getting muddled up on newly built estates. Alternatively, an energy supplier might have failed to inform Transco or the electricity distributor MPAS about any changes to metering. Building conversions, as in Caroline's case, can also create problems if one meter is replaced by several and the meter companies are not informed.

Energywatch advises householders to persevere in their hunt for their phantom supplier. A spokeswoman, Georgina Walsh, says: 'The first thing is to act quickly. You should take a meter reading as soon as you move in so that you are not liable for any energy used by a previous occupant.'

How to pay your way

Step 1 Try the firms that are responsible for the meters. For gas, call Transco on 087 608 1524. For electricity, call Energywatch, on 0845 906 0708, and it will give you the MPAS number for your area.

Step 2 Still no luck? Try British Gas for gas and EDF Energy for electricity, especially if you are in an old property. Only one-third of customers have changed supplier since competition was introduced, so there is a two-in-three chance these companies will still be supplying your property.

Step 3 Contact the builders of your home, if you have their details, as they will have registered your suppliers when the property was being built. If it is rented accommodation, try your landlord.

Step 4 Should that not work, knock on your neighbours' doors. If you have moved into a new property, there is a chance your meter and plot numbers will have been mixed up with theirs.

Step 5 If all else fails, simply choose a supplier and sign up with it. There will then be no doubt you have been paying your bills, even if the original supplier does eventually emerge.