April 20, 2025 at 7:49 am

His Ex-Girlfriend Wouldn’t Give Him Money For The Electric Bill, But The Debt Collectors Had More Success

by Matthew Gilligan

man looking at bills with calculator

Shutterstock/Reddit

Breakups can be pretty ugly…especially when there’s money involved.

And this guy’s ex-girlfriend should’ve just played nice and everything would’ve been totally fine!

But she had to rock the boat…

Check out what happened in this story from the pages of Reddit.

Ex-girlfriend wants to cut off our electricity? No problem!

“I was living with my girlfriend and a roommate, and we split the cost of every bill evenly, even though each bill was in one person’s name.

Well, that was the idea, but I naively “helped” my girlfriend pay her part of the bills (i.e. paid completely for most of them).

The rent was in my name, the electricity in my girlfriends’, etc.

It didn’t end well…

Well I eventually got tired of her bull **** (arguments, smelly gerbils, not doing chores), and we broke up.

It was messy.

She took ages to move out, making sure to mooch every penny she could before leaving.

When she left, I immediately started a new electricity account in my name.

A week later, I got a letter of confirmation in the mail, but I also received the electricity bill for the last three months my ex was living with us.

I opened it without thinking.

We couldn’t even pay it if we wanted to because the bill was in her name.

I shot her a text:

Me: Yo, you got the electricity bill in the mail. It’s 120 bucks so come pick up $40 from each of us.

Ex: Um where’s the other $40? We agreed I wouldn’t pay bills after I move out. (as if she did before)

Me: You were still living here for the time period of the bill.

Hmmm…

Ex: This is bull ****, I’m not going to pay a thing. We had an agreement.

Me: Well… you can come over to get our part, or you can pay it alone.

Ex: The way I see it, you can either bring the $120 to my place or have fun in the dark, LOL.

Me: You got me there!

At this point I realized that she doesn’t know I started my own account with the electricity provider.

She thought that by refusing to pay, the provider would cut our lights.

Good way to mooch another $40 from us, right?

But that’s not quite what happened.

A few weeks later, I received another letter from electric company with her name on it.

Probably a late payment warning.

I sent her a text to tell her, and she responded, “LOL, why are you so desperate to talk to me. You know what you have to do :)”

Another letter came in for her.

This one was probably late fees.

I have to guess because I never opened them.

I messaged her and she said, “I thought I told you to never talk to me again.”

As you wish, ma’am!

Uh oh…

More letters arrived, but from a new address.

I Googled the new sender’s address and found that they were debt collectors.

Scary stuff. It’s too bad I couldn’t say a word to her.

Now about two or three months later, I received a phone call from my ex and I’m greeted by “WHAT THE ****? THESE PEOPLE ARE CALLING MY PARENTS’ HOUSE. I’VE GOT ALL THESE LATE FEES. DEBT COLLECTORS.”

I told her if she wants our part of the bill, she knows what to do 🙂

Realizing that she had no other choice, she caved and came for the money.

My roommate and I didn’t give her a cent toward late fees, and I probably looked so smug giving her my money for the last time.”

Here’s what folks had to say about this.

This person chimed in.

Screenshot 2025 04 01 at 7.27.49 AM His Ex Girlfriend Wouldnt Give Him Money For The Electric Bill, But The Debt Collectors Had More Success

Another Reddit user shared their thoughts.

Screenshot 2025 04 01 at 7.27.57 AM His Ex Girlfriend Wouldnt Give Him Money For The Electric Bill, But The Debt Collectors Had More Success

This individual had a lot to say.

Screenshot 2025 04 01 at 7.28.08 AM His Ex Girlfriend Wouldnt Give Him Money For The Electric Bill, But The Debt Collectors Had More Success

Another reader shared a story.

Screenshot 2025 04 01 at 7.28.43 AM His Ex Girlfriend Wouldnt Give Him Money For The Electric Bill, But The Debt Collectors Had More Success

And this person spoke up.

Screenshot 2025 04 01 at 7.29.40 AM His Ex Girlfriend Wouldnt Give Him Money For The Electric Bill, But The Debt Collectors Had More Success

I don’t think she’ll make this mistake again!

She ended up costing herself so much money.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a customer who insists that their credit card works, and finds out that isn’t the case.