Symbio Energy feedback

JazzyJ

I've emailed and told them I won't be paying their vastly inflated bill, that it deviates from their terms when we signed up, that they haven't applied the new tariff we agreed on 23/11 and listed all the bills with the dates the DD was meant to be taken alongside the dates they actually took - in one instance, it was taken four days early and another five days late - not one has been taken on the due date. I have told them I have cancelled the DD and I will be paying by bank transfer.

tk47

tk47 wrote: »

...
9. I have diarised Friday to check with my bank what, if any, money Symbio take and am fully poised to invoke the terms of the Direct Debit Guarantee if necessary....

I have now added a Thursday check as well, as that is what the advance notice indicates, despite the bill summary indicating Friday.

(Not received a full bill, so no idea what that may indicate)

Also noted that a payment may only be collected in the exact amount specified on an advance notice, and that collection must occur either on that day, or within 3 working days thereafter.
The advance notice period (but not the advance notice itself) may be waived on a specific occasion if it is mutually agreed to do so.

tk47

JazzyJ wrote: »

I've emailed and told them I won't be paying their vastly inflated bill, that it deviates from their terms when we signed up, that they haven't applied the new tariff we agreed on 23/11 and listed all the bills with the dates the DD was meant to be taken alongside the dates they actually took - in one instance, it was taken four days early and another five days late - not one has been taken on the due date. I have told them I have cancelled the DD and I will be paying by bank transfer.

Perhaps not the wisest decision. I would like to draw your attention to term 9.3 that you agreed to, before Symbio do.

9.3. You must notify us that you have cancelled your
Direct Debit, so that we can update our records.
You should also ensure that you arrange alternative
means of making any required payment to us.
However, we may charge you the additional costs
to us of you using alternative payment channels or
we may, without your consent, install a prepayment
meter at your premises

(My highlighting)

JazzyJ

tk47 wrote: »

Perhaps not the wisest decision. I would like to draw your attention to term 9.3 that you agreed to, before Symbio do.

(My highlighting)

I fully expect it to be in breach of their conditions but I have cancelled it as they cannot be trusted to take the DD on the due date or working day after. I will pay the bill (providing they amend it in time) on the due date but not by direct debit. Their invoice provides bank details for payment so others must pay by that method.

tomthered

JazzyJ wrote: »

I've attempted to phone them and received a message that they can't take my call and that I can leave a message after the beep! I suspect they are inundated with irate customers...

Same for me. I use 3200 units per year and have done for a long time. They notified that in Dec 19 they would take £40.99, when they were supposed to take just under £36. I let that go.


However, now been told they intend to take £58.36 on 11/01/2020, which I calculate is £27.03 to much as have worked out my bills from 17/10/19 when I joined them to 31/01/2020, which is 106 days.


Have sent an email explain this and that the DD needs reducing down to what we agreed. Anyone had any responses by email or is it a lost cause?


EDIT--Should add that I received notice of their intention to take a direct debit but they have also previously sent the notice of £58.36 which I have rejected as it is too much.

JazzyJ

They've just put this on Facebook:

Dear Valued Customers.
We apologise that you couldn't connect to our customer service team as we have been held up with a lot of calls since our previous billing cycle. We usually reply to emails within 72-96 hours. If you have sent an email to "billing@symbioenergy.co.uk", please be adviced that your email will be bounced back since it is a no-reply email address.
As we know that the consumption rates in winters and summers vary significantly, (which was not incorporated in our system) as a result the bills generated for the month of October and November were based on using spring/summer estimated meter reads as opposed to the much higher winter consumption's actual amounts. Thereby, the bill received in the month of December and January is issued at a higher consumption in order to match the electricity supplied/ consumed. However, if you wish to pay a fixed monthly Direct Debit as per the initial quote that you signed up for, please let us know and we will amend the same. Also, we would request you to keep submitting your meter reads on the last day of each month so that we reconcile your bills in line with your meter reads and not according to the winter reconciliation. Please feel to inbox us your customer reference number along with the amount you would wish to fix your DD for.

SuiDreams

JazzyJ wrote: »

They've just put this on Facebook:

Dear Valued Customers.
We apologise that you couldn't connect to our customer service team as we have been held up with a lot of calls since our previous billing cycle. We usually reply to emails within 72-96 hours. If you have sent an email to "billing@symbioenergy.co.uk", please be adviced that your email will be bounced back since it is a no-reply email address.
As we know that the consumption rates in winters and summers vary significantly, (which was not incorporated in our system) as a result the bills generated for the month of October and November were based on using spring/summer estimated meter reads as opposed to the much higher winter consumption's actual amounts. Thereby, the bill received in the month of December and January is issued at a higher consumption in order to match the electricity supplied/ consumed. However, if you wish to pay a fixed monthly Direct Debit as per the initial quote that you signed up for, please let us know and we will amend the same. Also, we would request you to keep submitting your meter reads on the last day of each month so that we reconcile your bills in line with your meter reads and not according to the winter reconciliation. Please feel to inbox us your customer reference number along with the amount you would wish to fix your DD for.

Thank you I have messaged them and asked them to fix my DD, I do have a small variance over winter, but not the amount they are charging and wanted a fixed monthly DD paying the same amount every month.


Edited to add - expensive DD now cancelled , just waiting on confirmation of agreed monthly DD and date that I agreed with them.

molerat

Daughter just had e-mail for DD to take large payment immediately followed by another to cancel it.

tk47

JazzyJ wrote: »

They've just put this on Facebook:

Dear Valued Customers.
We apologise that you couldn't connect to our customer service team as we have been held up with a lot of calls since our previous billing cycle. We usually reply to emails within 72-96 hours. If you have sent an email to "billing@symbioenergy.co.uk", please be adviced that your email will be bounced back since it is a no-reply email address.
As we know that the consumption rates in winters and summers vary significantly, (which was not incorporated in our system) as a result the bills generated for the month of October and November were based on using spring/summer estimated meter reads as opposed to the much higher winter consumption's actual amounts. Thereby, the bill received in the month of December and January is issued at a higher consumption in order to match the electricity supplied/ consumed. However, if you wish to pay a fixed monthly Direct Debit as per the initial quote that you signed up for, please let us know and we will amend the same. Also, we would request you to keep submitting your meter reads on the last day of each month so that we reconcile your bills in line with your meter reads and not according to the winter reconciliation. Please feel to inbox us your customer reference number along with the amount you would wish to fix your DD for.

I sent my complaint to all the following addresses all of which I have been provided with by Symbio at some pont since I joined them. Hopefully at least one of them will work

[EMAIL="complaintresolutionmanager@symbioenergy.co.uk"]complaintresolutionmanager@symbioenergy.co.uk[/EMAIL]
[EMAIL="billing@symbioenergy.co.uk"]billing@symbioenergy.co.uk[/EMAIL]
[EMAIL="customerservices@symbioenergy.co.uk"]customerservices@symbioenergy.co.uk[/EMAIL]
[EMAIL="meterreads@symbioenergy.co.uk"]meterreads@symbioenergy.co.uk[/EMAIL]
[EMAIL="qualityassurance@symbioenergy.co.uk"]qualityassurance@symbioenergy.co.uk[/EMAIL]

I also have the following address ready for stage 2 of the complaint process, if required:
[EMAIL="CSDirector@symbioenergy.co.uk"]CSDirector@symbioenergy.co.uk[/EMAIL]


Edit: [STRIKE]I don't see that post on their facebook page :huh:[/STRIKE]
Their latest post appears to have been made on 02-Jan-2020

Hoff and Zaitz, who work at Diablo Canyon, California's last nuclear power plant, founded Mothers for Nuclear to foster dialogue with those who are sceptical about the use nuclear energy.

Edit2: Found it! It seems to be hidden as a reply to another facebooker.
Worse still, it only seems accessible to those signed into facebook :cool:

Edit 3: Found it eventually, available for public viewing
https://www.facebook.com/SymbioEnergy/posts/2784029861657833
Still think something like this should be on the own posting page through.

Swipe

They certainly aren't doing themselves any favours. This very act may result in their final downfall. Just look at the trustpilot reviews and score now. Currently at 47% bad. Any potential customers will see that and the reviews and run a mile. I'm not buying their reason for this either. How many of you were under estimated for October and November as they say?