Quote Quoting MisterAcoustic
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I think they did notice it immediately - but I can see how they may have thought the first bill was a fluke. And the next bill they thought it was their fault and tried to reduce usage, and ... well, and so on. They got a bit of a run-around from the energy utility - their magic software attributed the usage to several different things, none of which was heating/cooling.

Thanks all for the input. It seems I'm likely not responsible/liable, but I am free to give them a break without agreeing that any of the problem is my fault.

I will keep checking here for a while in case someone else wants to weigh in.

Thanks again!
I disagree a bit with the others. I can see going through a lot of run a round with the electric company trying to figure out why the bill is so high before coming to the conclusion that it might be a furnace malfunction. That is why I don't think the fact that it took the tenant 4 months to figure out that they might have a furnace problem absolves you from being responsible.

If they somehow magically figured out on the first bill that it was a furnace problem I doubt that anyone would suggest that you weren't responsible. Even on the second bill I think its unlikely. The advice you are getting that you are not responsible is based solely on the fact that someone thinks its unreasonable for them to have taken 4 months to figure out that it might be an equipment problem. I don't agree with that opinion. However, even if that is a valid argument to make, that doesn't absolve you from being responsible for part of the 4 months.