Proof of Address

[hellymedic]

I have not gone to paperless billing for electricity because I like to have some current proof of address, should the need arise.
I manage my bank account, gas, phone & tax online.
I don't have, want or need a smartphone.

Requests for proof of address tend to be sporadic and unpredictable.

Should I just stick to getting a paper electricity bill or what do other folk suggest?

[rafletcher]

Usually you can download electronic versions of what would have been sent in the post anyway. They still prepare the bill / statement, it just doesn't get physically printed and posted.

[Dave_C]

Drivers licence for poa and passport to back up who you are. If you need to you can print off a bill? no??

[citoyen]

Drivers licence for poa

I suspect helly is not in possession of such.

My bank account is paperless but they still send me letters occasionally. Unfortunately, last time I needed to provide POA, none of the letters I had was recent enough to be useful. Printing off a statement might be worth trying - I download pdfs of all my bank statements (because they expire from the website after a few years) and they have my address on them. I can imagine some people being a bit funny about stuff you've obviously printed yourself though, whether justified or not.

[Polar Bear]

Bank statements, council tax and water rates bills all work.   I also get a regular benefits letter for my DLA (two a year) so that's always useful.

[T42]

Luckily I haven't yet opted for on-line electricity bills: the various powers that ask for POA here don't like B/W printed versions, they want originals.

Heh - one of the things the citizenship authorities wanted was an original printout of my career summary, which his available from the pensions people. They really stressed "original, not the downloadable version". When the pensions folk sent one by post it was a B/W printout, absolutely identical to the one I could have printed myself, but it was accepted.

[hellymedic]

Drivers licence for poa

I suspect helly is not in possession of such.

My bank account is paperless but they still send me letters occasionally. Unfortunately, last time I needed to provide POA, none of the letters I had was recent enough to be useful. Printing off a statement might be worth trying - I download pdfs of all my bank statements (because they expire from the website after a few years) and they have my address on them. I can imagine some people being a bit funny about stuff you've obviously printed yourself though, whether justified or not.

I have a (full) driving licence but the address is not current (naughty I know but I don't/won't drive anyway).
I don't think bland sales letters from the bank count. Anyway, they go to recycling same day as the arrive.

Water and Council Tax are not sufficiently frequent.

DWP does not send me regular letters.

Given how temperamental our printer can be (and how occasionally Apple update stop it communicating with my laptop) I might just continue with my paper bills.

[citoyen]

I have a (full) driving licence...

Apologies for my presumption!

...but the address is not current

If you have a Government Gateway User ID, you can update your driving licence online easily, and free of charge (as long as your current licence hasn't expired) - you don't even need some other proof of address, just your NI and passport number. I reckon this would be your best bet - whether you drive or not, it's probably the best form of ID for POA purposes.

[barakta]

I keep a handful of paper bills for this purpose cos the one time a self-printed statement won't be accepted is likely to be the one time I'm least able to fuck about obtaining something suitable in time.  Same reason I have a UK passport even tho I haven't been overseas since 2000 - it's the most convenient form of ID which places simply accept without faff - I've enough faff elselife.

[Kim]

This does seem to be sorting itself out, in as much as people increasingly accept a paper bill that's come out of your printer as readily as one that's come from $random_telco's printer.  It's all daft, of course.

[Paul H]

Despite paying everything by DD I still get the Council tax bill every year by post and at least once a year an electricity statement, I've used both as proof of address.

[Thor]

The most recent Inland Revenue Tax Code notification sufficed as one of two items of ID required of Mrs Thor, by a Building Society.

Her passport was acceptable as the other item.  Council Tax documentation was also acceptable. 

[geraldc]

We had the same request, something dated within the last 3 months, that had our address on it. We just went into our local bank branch, and they printed out a statement on letterhead paper for us, and the lawyers who requested the proof of address were happy to accept it.

[hellymedic]

Despite paying everything by DD I still get the Council tax bill every year by post and at least once a year an electricity statement, I've used both as proof of address.

Those who request proof of address often need one less than 3 months old so every year leave 9 months uncovered...

[Jaded]

We had the same request, something dated within the last 3 months, that had our address on it. We just went into our local bank branch, and they printed out a statement on letterhead paper for us, and the lawyers who requested the proof of address were happy to accept it.

My bank is 320 miles away....

[T42]

Our local mairie provided us with a certificate of residence. And the naturalisation folk said nope.

[gibbo]

I was in Game in Bury St. Edmunds recently when my son wanted to trade in a PS4 game of some description. We were asked to provide 2 forms of identity, one with a photograph. I had my newly acquired photo drivers license and showed them a bill via my phone but the latter wasn't acceptable. I was pissed off since the Ipswich store we normally go to have never asked for ID, I'm presuming because we have a Game card(?), plus I now had an upset teenager to deal with and we'd gone to Bury specifically to trade the games in.

What was acceptable was for me to print the very same bill out and bring them a paper copy.

We went to Ipswich the following week armed with said ID but weren't asked for it!

[harvey]

Our local mairie provided us with a certificate of residence. And the naturalisation folk said nope.

Yes; it's nuts in France. It's needed for everything.