Symbio Energy feedback

matelodave

Talldave wrote: »

Yes. Although to be accurate it's one day after the end of their previous "Flat units" estimation period, which for the last 3 bills for me has ended on the last day of the month, so I've been submitting readings on the 1st. But when I first signed up the estimate used to run to the 1st.

This month I will gamble on the 2nd for my reading as it's a Sunday, to see if I can get 2 days of freebie units. Hopefully it will be OK if I submit just after midnight on the 2nd!!

Do you really think that you are getting freebie units.

Come the day of your final reading when you leave (or they go bust) they'll subtract the opening reading from the final one, work out how many units you've used, to work out the cost and then subtract what you've paid.

If you are lucky you'll be in credit, if not you'll have to pay some back

Swipe

matelodave wrote: »

Do you really think that you are getting freebie units.

Come the day of your final reading when you leave (or they go bust) they'll subtract the opening reading from the final one, work out how many units you've used, to work out the cost and then subtract what you've paid.

If you are lucky you'll be in credit, if not you'll have to pay some back

Why would they take into account the opening reading? They'd only go back to the most recent customer reading on the previous bill to generate the final one.

tk47

Symbio Energy still concentrating their efforts posting on social media and review sites I see.

Both facebook & twitter have the same posts, each made in triplicate - something about what Donny T said.
No idea what that has to do with an Electricity Supply Company operating in the Britain, but there you go.

Also noticed this on a well known review site.



Not so much about the fact a report was made (I think the reviewer made a comment something along the lines of "Received a phone call today from an Indian sounding lady..."
Wouldn't surprise me since their customer service is all operating out of Goa in India currently, as any trace on their email replies they may send clearly indicates, if you know what you are looking at

Perhaps more notable, bearing in mind they are suffering under a huge influx of calls (complaints) since Monday last, and that is their excuse for not addressing yet the number of complaints they seem to have received, is the timing. It is interesting that they do manage to address issues about them rather rapidly when it suits them.

Note how the post was only published 4 hours ago, but Symbio managed to report it 3 hours ago (based on when the screenshot was captured). i.e. within the hour.

Meanwhile, no contact from Symbio today about my complaint lodged with them :cool:

matelodave

Swipe wrote: »

Why would they take into account the opening reading? They'd only go back to the most recent customer reading on the previous bill to generate the final one.

I'd guess they'd do a sanity check - I certainly would.

I guess that's why people get bills out of the blue several months or even years after they've left, probably when the accounts get audited

nic_c

matelodave wrote: »

Do you really think that you are getting freebie units.

Come the day of your final reading when you leave (or they go bust) they'll subtract the opening reading from the final one, work out how many units you've used, to work out the cost and then subtract what you've paid.

If you are lucky you'll be in credit, if not you'll have to pay some back

Probably not looked at his bill correctly. I have done this and they estimate the extra day but it doesn't give free electric as you are charged.

Talldave

matelodave wrote: »

Do you really think that you are getting freebie units.

Come the day of your final reading when you leave (or they go bust) they'll subtract the opening reading from the final one, work out how many units you've used, to work out the cost and then subtract what you've paid.

If you are lucky you'll be in credit, if not you'll have to pay some back

I really do think that, and have created a spreadsheet to double-check my thoughts/calculations.


I have never had any other supplier that goes back "n" years when you leave to suddenly reverse engineer the bills.


Symbio even reset the estimating start point each month in line with the customer reads, so it's not like they're running on an entirely different estimating count that'll show a mismatch when I leave.


I'm more than happy to pay for what I have really used. I might even email them one day to explain what they're getting wrong. But if I do, I will put money on it that I will get the same sceptical response I'm getting on here.

nic_c wrote: »

Probably not looked at his bill correctly. I have done this and they estimate the extra day but it doesn't give free electric as you are charged.

With all due respect, I have looked at all my bills very carefully. Have you double checked yours?


They only ever make one charge - for the flat units estimate. At the start of December, they estimated 489.03 units at 10.87 costing £53.17 (their mathematical error, not mine). I gave a reading that showed I had used 468.10. basic maths would indicate that their variance calculation would therefore show -20.93. But no, it doesn't because they added 45.03 units for the 1st Janaury. So the variance figure was -65.96 and they deducted £7.17 from their ludicrous 768.50 unit estimate for January.


They never charge for the 45.03 units. And it's the same every month that you give a reading a day after the estimating period ends.


If I am wrong, please direct me to the section of the bill where the additional estimate units are charged.

fishhook

Their rates seem fine but they give all the excuses for conically overcharging the monthly payments
even given readings and are extremely difficult to communicate with let alone get a clear answer. They do not have a clear billing process that shows where you stand with usage and standing charges credit or debit etc., I think they are building a pot of money to vanish with and let the regulator pick up the pieces.
Wishing I had not gone with them.

Tafrock

Just leave then fishhook like I will be. Halfway through my cooling off period as I type. 10 or so days I'll be out thank goodness. Sometines cheap isn't the best

fewkeste

Talldave wrote: »

I have never had any other supplier that goes back "n" years when you leave to suddenly reverse engineer the bills.

Robin Hood Energy tried this with me. When I left them in April 2017 to go to Powershop, I owed them £4.38 and expected to receive a final bill shortly after. Nothing arrived.

Then in October 2018 they sent me a final bill for about £30 which was full of errors and obviously incorrect. I emailed them to tell them the bill was incorrect as I owed only £4.38 and anyway they can't bill me after 12 month because of the OFGEM 'backbilling' regulations. Never heard another word from from

OFGEM cite a definition which you might wish to cut and paste into a 'just in case' document:

‘A backbill is a ‘catch-up’ bill sent to you by your gas or electricity supplier when you haven’t been correctly charged for your energy use. Backbills can be for any amount, but we have put in place rules which define when your supplier can charge you, and to prevent backbilling beyond 12 months.’

Hope that helps.

Talldave

fewkeste wrote: »

Robin Hood Energy tried this with me. When I left them in April 2017 to go to Powershop, I owed them £4.38 and expected to receive a final bill shortly after. Nothing arrived.

Then in October 2018 they sent me a final bill for about £30 which was full of errors and obviously incorrect. I emailed them to tell them the bill was incorrect as I owed only £4.38 and anyway they can't bill me after 12 month because of the OFGEM 'backbilling' regulations. Never heard another word from from

OFGEM cite a definition which you might wish to cut and paste into a 'just in case' document:

‘A backbill is a ‘catch-up’ bill sent to you by your gas or electricity supplier when you haven’t been correctly charged for your energy use. Backbills can be for any amount, but we have put in place rules which define when your supplier can charge you, and to prevent backbilling beyond 12 months.’

Hope that helps.

Thanks, that's a useful reference. If they ever get their act together and realise what they've done I am more than happy to pay for the units they've given free and I have a single spreadsheet tracking the units charged for and not charged for going back to day 1 with them. The problem would be that they would inevitably make a shambles of trying to create such a bill and that's where the excitement would start!

The cynic in me wonders if the winter consumption cash grab was a reaction to their noticing that they appear to buy more units of electricity than their customers are paying them for, and they don't quite understand why. If Symbio are reading this, I'm available on an hourly consultancy rate to explain it!