Symbio Energy feedback

matelodave

Yup, I'm staying until they go bust, especially whilst it's still winter. Cheap energy is my goal and if it comes with a bit of sport thrown in, then so be it.

The mains thing is to maintain your own records so you can keep track of what is going on. Make sure that you download and save copies of all bills and correspondence so you've got all the data at your fingertips if it all goes belly up.

fewkeste

alirx wrote: »

I've just moved into a new flat and when I'm doing comparisons, the top 3 tariffs are all Symbio. Reading some of this, I'm pretty reluctant to switch over to them. What do people think?

I've been with a supplier when they went bust before and had an overall good experience with the takeover so I'm not horrified in theory if they go. Seems like their billing is in a disgraceful mess though and that they're grasping for cash.

Would you switch to them right now?

Talldave's answer is spot on. They are cheap but they are incompetent. If you are likely to get stressed by their inability to correctly bill you then perhaps they are not for you. If you are a fairly chilled and relaxed person who doesn't get wound up by their failure to do even the basic things expected of an energy supplier, then you might save some money for a while.

I wouldn't be surprised if they go bust in the near future so factor that in as well.

Only you can decide how much hassle you can put up with to save money.

Put it this way - I like to save money on energy supply (I'm currently with Yorkshire Energy on a fixed tariff) and I wouldn't recommend Symbio to anyone I cared about without at least warning them they could be in for a rough ride.

Life's too short to knowingly take on the hassle these clowns would inflict on you.

But it's your choice and any credit you build up will be protected when they go bust.

Talldave

The benefit of their cranky billing scheme is that you don't build up any credit - unless they've changed it for new customers? Each month you pay in advance for their guess of that month's consumption plus/minus the correction from the previous month's (estimate-actual) calculation. It's sort of "Pay As You Went"!

Tafrock

Unless of course they massively overbill you like they did in January. Then your in credit by around one month's electricity.

Talldave

Tafrock wrote: »

Unless of course they massively overbill you like they did in January. Then your in credit by around one month's electricity.

Until the next bill, at which point it resolves itself.

Tafrock

Unless they go bust between those two bills as most people seem to think they will

alirx

Thanks guys - I've signed up with Green. I was happier with a fix but, on reflection, I don't think a 1 year fix with Symbio is really any security. I don't have access to my own meter here and it's read monthly by a caretaker so actually I'm not sure this 'system' of billing would really work for me either. Good luck!!

merchcon55

Without any doubt the most complicated bills from any utility I have ever seen. I just make life very easy. I know what my meter read was on day 1 (mid August). I know what my meter read was on 31 January. Therefore very easy to determine how many KW I have used and number of days I have been with Symbio - very simple to calculate what my TOTAL bill should be. I know what my monthly payments have been - easy to add them up. So at end of January, I owe Symbio around £8. In January after their exaggerated bill - contacted them on FB - and resolved issue by them agreeing to only take the original fixed monthly payment amount. Will be interesting to see what happens with the February Bill.

CRISPIANNE3

I'm tied in until November but the rate is excellent. However imho not sure they will be around that long. Very pleased to be proved wrong.

Rosco62

Well they've had 2 meter reads 31st jan & 1st feb so we will see how they deal with that;)