Ebico

mr_natural

anyone thinking about joining Ebico don't bother, i joined a few months ago, they piggy back on southern electric I have contacted them on numerous occasions and no reply, i rang southern to ask if i could get a better deal by just moving with them, and the person i spoke to was not very helpful or knowledgeable, and the number they gave me for more advice was a fax line!

I recently received a letter from Ebico letting me know that rates had gone up from effect the 2nd october, so it has only taken then a month to let me know this, and my sister who is also a customer has had nothing from them at all but she has noticed her electricity has gone up, Nice one Ebico no less thieves than the rest of them. (Don't forget this is suppose to be an ethical company campaigning to get better deals for people especially poorer people) anyway i am now moving to EDF and even with a daily charge it works out just over 5 p less per kilowatt unit. so my advice is forget EBICO:mad:

Gavioli_UK

mr_natural wrote: »

anyone thinking about joining Ebico don't bother, i joined a few months ago, they piggy back on southern electric I have contacted them on numerous occasions and no reply, i rang southern to ask if i could get a better deal by just moving with them, and the person i spoke to was not very helpful or knowledgeable, and the number they gave me for more advice was a fax line!

I recently received a letter from Ebico letting me know that rates had gone up from effect the 2nd october, so it has only taken then a month to let me know this, and my sister who is also a customer has had nothing from them at all but she has noticed her electricity has gone up, Nice one Ebico no less thieves than the rest of them. (Don't forget this is suppose to be an ethical company campaigning to get better deals for people especially poorer people) anyway i am now moving to EDF and even with a daily charge it works out just over 5 p less per kilowatt unit. so my advice is forget EBICO:mad:

1 I've left because they are far too expensive for electricity. I also found EDF the best deal for me.
2 I also found their service very poor.

Cardew

mr_natural wrote: »

anyone thinking about joining Ebico don't bother, i joined a few months ago, they piggy back on southern electric I have contacted them on numerous occasions and no reply, i rang southern to ask if i could get a better deal by just moving with them, and the person i spoke to was not very helpful or knowledgeable, and the number they gave me for more advice was a fax line!

I recently received a letter from Ebico letting me know that rates had gone up from effect the 2nd october, so it has only taken then a month to let me know this, and my sister who is also a customer has had nothing from them at all but she has noticed her electricity has gone up, Nice one Ebico no less thieves than the rest of them. (Don't forget this is suppose to be an ethical company campaigning to get better deals for people especially poorer people) anyway i am now moving to EDF and even with a daily charge it works out just over 5 p less per kilowatt unit. so my advice is forget EBICO:mad:

Welcome to the forum,

There are a number of threads running about Ebico discussing the merits and demerits of the company.

Over the past 3 years or so Ebico have attracted almost universal praise on MSE for their service and ethos, and it is only fairly recently that any criticism has appeared. I wonder if the large price rise has anything to do with that criticism.

I don't think that Ebico have ever claimed that their ethical stance provides cheaper energy for poorer people.

They have structured their tariff so that very low consumption users are better off than with other companies. Their policy of no premium for pre-pay might benefit the less well off.

In effect they provide a greater degree of cross-subsidy between customers than other providers.

There is no denying that their electricity is considerably more expensive for anyone other than those with the very lowest consumption. However their gas is reasonably competitive untill you reach higher levels of consumption.

All in all, I hardly think it fair to call a zero profit making company 'thieves'.

jane130

we are sticking with them, had the heating on for 2 weeks,used gas to heat allmy water and do all my cooking , and have used £12 worth of gas from my prepayment meter

Premier_2

Hi mr natural, and welcome to MSE.

As you are new here you probably have failed to read the other many threads on ebico.

Ebico are a company in their own right. They do use SSE as their licenced supply partner and also use SSE for the customer supporet & billing operations. SSE are acknowledged as providing the best customer support service out of the major 6 suppliers.

So it is even more surprising that you have experienced difficulty in contacting them.

Contact details are avialbale from the ebico website

Both are freephone numbers:

0800 458 7689
For all new sales enquiries

0800 096 6344
For current customer service

Personally I've never experienced any problems with contacting customer service
However, in line with SSE, they are not there 24/4, but are there 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 2pm Saturday.

There is sometimes a short delay whilst holding, but at least you are not paying for the call as with many other suppliers.

I'm not sure how you could easily compare the price of EDF Vs ebico for electricity. Ebico charge the same flat rate for every unit consumed, no matter how the customer pays (even the same price for using PPM!) and do not have any standing charge.
EDF have a 2 tier pricing structure (or maybe have a standing charge option instead), numerous different tariffs and various discounts.
e.g. if you look at Yorkshire area as a purely typical example (;)), ebico charge 14.07p per unit
EDF on their online 6 tariff (possibly one of if not their cheapest tariff being online), requiring a credit meter, payment by monthly DD, charges 17.976p for the first 225 kWh per quarter, and 8.011p thereafter and provides a discount of £8.40 per annum for payment via DD.
On their prepayment meter, EDF charge 9.84p per unit plus 24.83p per day standing charge.

No surprise Gavioli UK posted another negative view on this company - at least it's been consistent since last February. I think it stemmed from them somehow having switched the gas supply too, and that also similar reports of no contact, specifically from ebico themeselves rather than from SSE who they use to provide customer service.

Well recently I had reason to contact ebico directly. I wrote to them at their registered office and received a written response dated (& postmarked) 2 days after I wrote my letter.

mr_natural

I tried to contact Ebico and southern through their contact us form, Nothing.
Ebico might be not for profit, but i bet their Director doesn't work for the love of it! I am on pre pay eastern region, I have done my sums and as said even with a daily charge it works out just over 5p per unit cheaper on economy 7, we don't have mains gas here to rural, personally allegiance doesn't float my boat, price does, and if i have to keep doing the merry go round i will, EDF also are giving nectar points 1900. and a small rebate. southern and Ebico NOTHING. away from this subject i would love to know what consumers in europe pay, something you never hear about I wonder if they are ripped off right left and centre or is it just a british disease.

boatman

I've been with Ebico for a while for my gas and even with the recent increases they are still the cheapest for me(apx 12000kwh a year).
I did not find them cheaper for electric, cheapest for electric for me any way seems to be BG click 6(apx 3600kwh per year).

Cardew

mr_natural wrote: »

I tried to contact Ebico and southern through their contact us form, Nothing.
Ebico might be not for profit, but i bet their Director doesn't work for the love of it! I am on pre pay eastern region, I have done my sums and as said even with a daily charge it works out just over 5p per unit cheaper on economy 7, we don't have mains gas here to rural, personally allegiance doesn't float my boat, price does, and if i have to keep doing the merry go round i will, EDF also are giving nectar points 1900. and a small rebate. southern and Ebico NOTHING. away from this subject i would love to know what consumers in europe pay, something you never hear about I wonder if they are ripped off right left and centre or is it just a british decease.

Several threads about European prices - not cheaper than us in the main.

I suspect Ebico's staff do get a salary, is that bad?

There is no question that Ebico's electricity prices are not competitive for other than very low users. No secret about this - their prices are published.

If the prices don't suit you, then you are correct to exercise your choice and leave, they are not asking for your allegiance.

What I fail to undersand is why you accuse Ebico of being thieves and EDF presumably are ' knights in shining armour'(chevaliers dans l'armure brillante!!!)
- mind you if they 'give' Nectar points!!!

Premier_2

mr_natural wrote: »

I tried to contact Ebico and southern through their contact us form, Nothing.

Ring them, it's free from a BT landline

mr_natural wrote: »

Ebico might be not for profit, but i bet their Director doesn't work for the love of it!

I'm sure they don't! Does anyone? However someone did purchse their accounts and suggested total annual emoluments for their board (3 directors I believe) came to less than £46k. No fat cats at ebico. How much do the board at EDF earn?

mr_natural wrote: »

I am on pre pay eastern region, I have done my sums and as said even with a daily charge it works out just over 5p per unit cheaper on economy 7, we don't have mains gas here to rural, personally allegiance doesn't float my boat, price does, and if i have to keep doing the merry go round i will, EDF also are giving nectar points 1900. and a small rebate. southern and Ebico NOTHING. away from this subject i would love to know what consumers in europe pay, something you never hear about I wonder if they are ripped off right left and centre or is it just a british disease.

Well you must be using one heck of a lot of daytime units to wipe out the effect of the 18.08p per day standing charge and still make over 5p saving on every unit.

Rates for Eastern Region (E7)

Ebico: 16.61p day, 6.92p night
EDF: 11.05p day, 5.34p night, 18.08p daily standing charge

If you're spending over £36 per week, every week of the year, on electricity then the benefit of less than 19p worth of nectar points really isn't worth worrying too much about.
You're using far more electricity than an average user and you should consider ways of reducing consumption that'll save you a lot more than simply switching supplier.

mr_natural

I certainly don't think EDF are knights in shining amour, I couldn't care less about any of them apart from price, as it would be nice to afford to eat after paying the utilities and government of this country.
1900 nectar points 500 gives me £2.50 off my shopping at sainsburys, not 19p.
would love to see the report on directors pay.

if they are so wonderful why not reply to the absolute fact in my original post that it has taken them a month to let me know of a price rise on the 2nd of october this year, and also that they have not even sent a letter to my sister, i wonder how many others have not yet been told, hardly a shining example of care for the customer is it. any way it seems to me the people posting on here must have some vested interest in Ebico either as employees or pr agents. no further comment.

Premier_2

mr_natural wrote: »

...1900 nectar points 500 gives me £2.50 off my shopping at sainsburys, not 19p...

That's what it's worth per week

mr_natural wrote: »

...would love to see the report on directors pay...

The Group’s key management personnel are the Chairman of the Board
of Directors, the Chief Officers and the external members of the Board of
Directors.
The total compensation paid by EDF and controlled companies to the Group’s key management personnel amounted to €5 million for 2007 (€4.1 million in 2006), and covered short-term benefits (salaries, the variable
portion paid in 2007, profit share, director’s fees and benefits in kind) and the corresponding employer contributions.
Management personnel who belong to the IEG regime also benefit from
employee benefits (as defined by IAS 19) attached to that status. The past
service cost related to these benefits for 2007 is €0.4 million (€0.3 million
for 2006).

http://www.edf.com/html/RA2007/uk/pdf/ra2007Fin_full_va.pdf , page 99