Symbio Energy feedback

Tafrock

Credit to you for sticking with them crispianne as to be fair their electricity was dirt cheap. I left after a hugely inflated bill and must admit I thought they were about to go under. 

March 22 is a long way off yet so thats a very good fix if you can put up with the irregular very confusing bills . My price with green  is 14.39 Inc vat and 22p standing charge but that's variable 

Will they survive until then.... Who knows . Good luck 

Here's the best fix I am quoted with symbio. Still a lot cheaper than my green tariff but no way would I go back to symbio. Price isn't everything 

Swipe

devondiver said:

But this hasn't stopped Symbio continuing to reply to TP posters with their standard threatening 'cut-and-paste' reply - the last batch all posted just '5 hours ago' at the time of this post.

If course it won't stop them, they have nothing to lose. They are probably hoping their company entry gets removed along with all the bad reviews.

PaoloWD

I don't want to jinx it, but I phoned Symbio today to change my fixed tariff to a cheaper one (wef June), as I'll be better off despite the £30 penalty to change mid-term. The phone was answered within 5 mins and the customer service rep was quite helpful. So far so good (fingers crossed). I can put up with the silly billing, as I'm on a fixed monthly DD anyway and I'm monitoring my usage (which is within the EAC figure I gave them when I joined last Christmas).

CRISPIANNE3

PaoloWD said:

I don't want to jinx it, but I phoned Symbio today to change my fixed tariff to a cheaper one (wef June), as I'll be better off despite the £30 penalty to change mid-term. The phone was answered within 5 mins and the customer service rep was quite helpful. So far so good (fingers crossed). I can put up with the silly billing, as I'm on a fixed monthly DD anyway and I'm monitoring my usage (which is within the EAC figure I gave them when I joined last Christmas).

That is one thing they are very accommodating with allowing a customer to change in mid term without applying the £30 penalty. 

Sue_Buckle

I have just reported Symbio to the energy Ombudsman. I found their customer services department absolutely awful. We left in March 2021, and I am still waiting for a final bill. They have tried taking a direct debit, despite the fact that we no longer use their electricity, and don't respond to emails and no-one ever answers the telephone. I found our experience with them stressful and time-consuming. 

Reed_Richards

CRISPIANNE3 said:
That is one thing they are very accommodating with allowing a customer to change in mid term without applying the £30 penalty. 

Not for me they wouldn't, I asked today.

CRISPIANNE3

Reed_Richards said:

CRISPIANNE3 said:
That is one thing they are very accommodating with allowing a customer to change in mid term without applying the £30 penalty. 

Not for me they wouldn't, I asked today.

Very surprised at that. However I have usually checked their tariffs online and applied that way.  I think I have changed in mid stream about 3 times.

niktheguru

I sent them a reminder email (its 5 weeks post leaving) that I'm still awaiting a final bill, as i'm nice like that, for them to avoid giving me automatic compensation if they get their act in order. After a week i received a generic email from them with the following:

Dear Customer, We trust you and the family are well during these uncertain times. We acknowledge that we have received your email and are working on resolving the issues raised herein. Please be assured that we are working diligently to resolve your query, but our response would be delayed. Our Customer Services Team is situated in India and as you would know, the Indian Covid-19 Pandemic, which consists predominantly of the Indian Covid ‘Double Mutation’ variant, is rampant in India. The virus has affected 60 percent of our Customer Services Team, who have Tested Positive. We have ensured that they are isolated at home and are providing all the support they need during these challenging times. In addition to this, our offices have been severely hit by Cyclone Tauktae.  As a result, our Net Customer Service capacity has diminished to only 25%.  However, our Automated Services are still Operational. You can access the Customer Portal via your Web Browser or Download the Symbio App via the Apple App Store or Android Google Play Store.  To assist you better, we have outlined a few steps to help resolve your queries without the assistance of our Customer Service Representative.   Q1: Your Energy Bill  A1: The Amount of Energy/Electricity or Gas changes Daily and Month to Month. No two Months from Previous Years are Comparable. Energy usage fluctuates for many reasons. Up to 2019, the Annual Energy Domestic Consumption was reducing. However, in 2020 due to Covid and other factors, Energy Consumption Averages have relatively increased. The following are some of the factors that can affect your Energy Bills:  Length of the day: Longer days consume less Electricity.  Cloud Cover and Weather: Cloudy, Rainy days consume more Electricity. On Rainy days, People Stay in and Consume more Electricity. On Sunny days, people Consume Less except when the temperature is above 23 degrees Celsius as Air-Conditioning in Offices and Homes consumes more Energy. Colder than Average Temperatures Increase Usage. The first half of 2021 has been 2 degrees Cooler than the Annual Average.  Amount of Frozen Food in a Freezer: Covid-19 saw an increased purchase of Freezers and Frozen Food Products. Energy Consumption due to Freezer use can add 10% to an Average Annual Electricity Bill.  Working from home: Homeworking due to Covid and a general change in work practices means that Homes are warmed during the day and Lights are on, Computers, Cookers, and Ovens for lunch at home. Electric Car charging at home has also increased the Average Electricity Usage. An Electric Vehicle can double an Average Annual Energy Usage.

Q2: What is my bill?
A2: Your bill is the Amount of Energy/Electricity Units you Consume, Multiplied by the Unit Rate for Electricity or Gas. There is also a Daily Meter Rental Charge, Climate Change Levy for High Users, and a 5% VAT.
You can only be charged for Energy/Electricity you Consume.
If you do not have a Smart Meter, the Meter Reads are Estimated by your Energy Company who must factor in all manner of factors detailed above to arrive at an Estimate. Please note this is an Estimate. Therefore, the Estimated Bill will invariably be Higher or Lower than your Actual Consumption.
If you believe your Estimate is too High, submit your Meter Reading via the App or Customer Portal, and the system will do the rest. Your Estimated Meter Reading Bill is NOT your Actual RECONCILED Bill. There is a common misperception that the energy company producing an Estimated Bill is Charging you this Amount. It is an Estimate and therefore needs Reconciling.
Q3: My Estimated Meter Reading is too high.
A3: Please submit your Meter Reading Every Month. If the Reading is within Expected Parameters, the System will Automatically Adjust your Bill in the Next Billing Cycle, and you will receive a Refund into your Bill. If the Amount is Greater than £50, you can request it mid-month. In any event, the monies will be Refunded or Credited to your account in the Next Bill Cycle.
If the Submitted Meter Reading is outside the expected range, we will request for a Physical Meter Reading and a Meter Operator will attend to your property to Read your Meter. Please note Symbio Energy has been the UK’s Lowest Priced Electricity Provider since March 2019. This has only been achievable by Reducing Costs and Damage through ‘Energy Theft.’ If a meter reading is intentionally under-declared, an energy theft occurs, and others will have to bear the costs for this under-declaration.
Please keep in mind that most people are trustworthy and requesting a physical meter reading does not imply any wrongdoing. Symbio is protected from overcharging and undercharging by these fully automated devices

Q5: I have a Smart Electricity Meter & the reading is not being calculated on my bills.  A5: You do not need to do anything if you have a second-generation Smart Meter or if we have installed it. The meter is automatically mapped to our system, and this will be reflected in your next bill. We will notify you if there is an error or if we are unable to read your meter for any reason.

7: My direct debit has been collected twice for this month. A7: Any accumulated credit is automatically credited back to your account. So, you do not have to worry. We do not retain any of our customer balances and shall reconcile our estimates with the customer readings in the forthcoming billing cycle. We hope that the answers to the questions above have been helpful. Given the current situation in India, our responses to your emails will be at least 14 days delayed. However, our phone lines are functional and if your query is urgent, please do call us. There might be a longer than usual hold time, but we can promise you that one of our friendly Customer Service Representatives would be more than happy to help you. Meanwhile, if you need Immediate Assistance, please visit our FAQ’s page at https://symbioenergy.co.uk/faqs/.  Kind Regards,  Symbio Team

niktheguru

The above letter makes it look like they are hiding behind the pandemic for their longstanding problems. I'm sure for the foreseeable future the pandemic is going to be their main excuse for any problems they cause.

Tallerdave

I got that too. It's hilarious, but at first glance you'd think it was a spoof!
I don't know about India, but here in the UK all my days are 24 hours long!