Symbio Energy feedback

niktheguru

LessImpecunious said:

niktheguru said:

DancingQueen1 said:

Biggest Mistake I have ever made was to sign up with Symbio Energy. Anyone thinking of joining them please go to the next cheapest provider. The tarriff is the cheapest, but once you are In Contract they change your DD monthly payments because they over estimate for the following month way above what you will use. They take no notice to reduce their estimates no matter how many times you contact them, by email & I only got through on the phone once I’ve been cut off before getting through since.My honest feeling is that they offer cheap, charge extra for agreed DD this is now making me feel I need to leave after only 5 months into an 18 month contract with them as I fear what my winter fuel I have electricity with them will go upto & have to pay the exit fees In Order to do so. 

This has all been covered in the last 288 pages. The way to minimise the pain is go with a fixed direct debit. Their advanced billing techniques to "borrow" extra money is well documented. Now neon reef is gone if customers want to pay the lowest prices you have to put up with symbio or pfp. Otherwise pay the extra few pence per kwh and take the lottery with any of the bigger players (probably with better customer service, but always a lottery)

I have started submitting meter readings once a week; this should help prevent them overestimating and overcharging, though it may take a month plus to feed through to your bills, given their stated practice of charging upfront for one month.

Nice try, but will make ZERO difference. Its not a mistake these over estimates, its intentional so they have working capital for their business.

They already have your quoted EAC and your previous months usage, so it'd be very easy for them to give relatively accurate estimates.....if they wanted to.

realshannon

Hi, thanks to responses.  Yesterday I had an email from their credit control again saying I hadnt responded, but I have several times.  They have now given me the bank details so I have paid and it is the amount I was expecting to pay.  watch this space but a dreadful company

LessImpecunious

I have started submitting meter readings once a week; this should help prevent them overestimating and overcharging, though it may take a month plus to feed through to your bills, given their stated practice of charging upfront for one month.

Nice try, but will make ZERO difference. Its not a mistake these over estimates, its intentional so they have working capital for their business.

They already have your quoted EAC and your previous months usage, so it'd be very easy for them to give relatively accurate estimates.....if they wanted to.

rp1974 said:

LessImpecunious said:
I have started submitting meter readings once a week; this should help prevent them overestimating and overcharging, though it may take a month plus to feed through to your bills, given their stated practice of charging upfront for one month.

That'll make no difference whatever,they will totally disregard the readings not sent on the last day of the month.

(Sorry trying not v successfully to quote two comments in one post...) Agreed and thanks to both - I will endeavour to submit on last day of month too if you've found that makes a difference! Admit I've only been doing the weekly submission for c 4 weeks; am still having overestimated readings for latest bill, but they did take the previously overcharged units off the previous bill based just on weekly submissions - I did it in the hope that they couldn't wildly and incrementally keep overestimating. And maybe the time to move to fixed DD has arrived...

rp1974

They will continue to over estimate and overbill no matter what you do,that's how they operate their business and have done more or less from their beginning.
Overcharging and then refunding on the next bill,in effect your lending them the overestimated amout to subsidise their cashflow and getting lower tariff rates in return,as long as Symbio stay in business I dont see that changing.
Absolutely change to fixed Direct Debit.

niktheguru

rp1974 said:

They will continue to over estimate and overbill no matter what you do,that's how they operate their business and have done more or less from their beginning.
Overcharging and then refunding on the next bill,in effect your lending them the overestimated amout to subsidise their cashflow and getting lower tariff rates in return,as long as Symbio stay in business I dont see that changing.
Absolutely change to fixed Direct Debit.

Completely agree with above. No point in wasting your time submitting weekly readings, though it wouldn't harm you it won't improve anything either. You need to make sure you are submitting readings before the end of every calendar month in order to have the most accurate actual reading so that the previous months overestimate can be subtracted, and the next months overestimate can be added on
Thats just how it is with symbio.

Hasbeen

My EAC from them is 11760 kWh  But closer now to 6700Kwh

My last bill was £60

I find that their estimated readings are now getting closer and more aligned to the "erm" readings I supply.

CRISPIANNE3

niktheguru said:

rp1974 said:

They will continue to over estimate and overbill no matter what you do,that's how they operate their business and have done more or less from their beginning.
Overcharging and then refunding on the next bill,in effect your lending them the overestimated amout to subsidise their cashflow and getting lower tariff rates in return,as long as Symbio stay in business I dont see that changing.
Absolutely change to fixed Direct Debit.

Completely agree with above. No point in wasting your time submitting weekly readings, though it wouldn't harm you it won't improve anything either. You need to make sure you are submitting readings before the end of every calendar month in order to have the most accurate actual reading so that the previous months overestimate can be subtracted, and the next months overestimate can be added on
Thats just how it is with symbio.

I did have the idea that by providing a meter reading the last day of the month and actually taking a picture of the meter this would show them the reading is not a work of fiction. As you say fixed payments are the way forward. 

niktheguru

CRISPIANNE3 said:

niktheguru said:

rp1974 said:

They will continue to over estimate and overbill no matter what you do,that's how they operate their business and have done more or less from their beginning.
Overcharging and then refunding on the next bill,in effect your lending them the overestimated amout to subsidise their cashflow and getting lower tariff rates in return,as long as Symbio stay in business I dont see that changing.
Absolutely change to fixed Direct Debit.

Completely agree with above. No point in wasting your time submitting weekly readings, though it wouldn't harm you it won't improve anything either. You need to make sure you are submitting readings before the end of every calendar month in order to have the most accurate actual reading so that the previous months overestimate can be subtracted, and the next months overestimate can be added on
Thats just how it is with symbio.

I did have the idea that by providing a meter reading the last day of the month and actually taking a picture of the meter this would show them the reading is not a work of fiction. As you say fixed payments are the way forward. 

In fairness the problem isn't with symbio trusting the meter reading you give, they will use any meter reading given. It's just if you don't give it at the end of the month and give it say on the 20th, they will then overestimate your use between the 20th and 31st on top of next month's overestimate. So it makes sense to provide a meter reading from either 29/30/31st so its the most accurate it can be for reconciliation of your last month's usage. The following month will be overestimated as usual!

Mr_K

niktheguru said:

CRISPIANNE3 said:

niktheguru said:

rp1974 said:

They will continue to over estimate and overbill no matter what you do,that's how they operate their business and have done more or less from their beginning.
Overcharging and then refunding on the next bill,in effect your lending them the overestimated amout to subsidise their cashflow and getting lower tariff rates in return,as long as Symbio stay in business I dont see that changing.
Absolutely change to fixed Direct Debit.

Completely agree with above. No point in wasting your time submitting weekly readings, though it wouldn't harm you it won't improve anything either. You need to make sure you are submitting readings before the end of every calendar month in order to have the most accurate actual reading so that the previous months overestimate can be subtracted, and the next months overestimate can be added on
Thats just how it is with symbio.

I did have the idea that by providing a meter reading the last day of the month and actually taking a picture of the meter this would show them the reading is not a work of fiction. As you say fixed payments are the way forward. 

In fairness the problem isn't with symbio trusting the meter reading you give, they will use any meter reading given. It's just if you don't give it at the end of the month and give it say on the 20th, they will then overestimate your use between the 20th and 31st on top of next month's overestimate. So it makes sense to provide a meter reading from either 29/30/31st so its the most accurate it can be for reconciliation of your last month's usage. The following month will be overestimated as usual!

The best way to manage this is to take into account their over estimates when submitting your 'reading'. e.g.  make your readings a month behind.   Two can play that game ! 

rp1974

Mr_K said:
The best way to manage this is to take into account their over estimates when submitting your 'reading'. e.g.  make your readings a month behind.Two can play that game ! 

True that,I did consider doing exactly that but decided against it as it seemed a largely unnecessary faff about for no real benefit especially when even the greatest overestimates balanced out in the scheme of things.
In 23 months I've had four fairly substantial negative bills,obviously I'd rather not have overpaid to begin with,however as we all know that's not how Symbio work.
I'm expecting all manner of very similar fun and games when they start supplying gas,as of 01/10/2021,apparently.