Louisville Gas & Electric LG&E Assigning debts to people who aren't responsible for them. Kentucky

My wife and I entered into a rental lease in April with my step-daughter and her partner. The partner utilized the rental lease, which contained all 4 of our names, to start services with Louisville Gas & Electric. The partner was the sole account holder with LG&E, and nobody else was listed as an authorized user on the service account.

At the end of August, my step-daughter and her partner abandoned the lease, leaving outstanding bills that my wife and I had given our portion of to them, but which were never paid.

Upon contacting LG&E and explaining the situation, I asked LG&E to grant me a service account in my name, as my wife and I continue to reside at the property. I requested that my account, along with any necessary deposits, be active from September 1st onward, and that LG&E pursue the account holder accordingly through their collections department.

LG&E has steadfastly refused to do this, claiming that because my name is on the lease, I am wholly responsible for the outstanding amount, and they will not put a service account in my name until the outstanding has been paid. If I open any mail addressed to the other individual, I am guilty of a Federal crime, but as I am not an authorized user, I cannot access any information on the account, such as outstanding balances or service due dates. LG&E insists that I would not have to open this person's mail, that I could simply make payments directly at their office ... but because I'm not listed as an authorized user on the account, and this other individual is the sole account holder, if I ask LG&E anything regarding balances or due dates, they cite that they cannot tell me anything, as I am not authorized for them to tell me anything.

LG&E would love it if I just blindly throw money at them so they can avoid the costs of utilizing their collections department ... it is neither legal or ethical for them to assign a debt to someone who is not authorized on the service account, despite their insistance that an agreement between landlord and tenant (to which LG&E is not a party) binds anyone other than the sole account holder of the service account into an agreement of LG&E. As a result of this illegality and unethical practice, I am completely handcuffed, while all I want is to be able to take responsibility for my own usage.