Symbio refusing the switch

Hasbeen

helpthetenant said:

niktheguru said:

helpthetenant said:

rjmachin said:

@helpthetenant - Regarding the £60 you owe due to the DD payments not being taken for two months, I presume that the DD was set to £30 per month.

Has Symbio generated a statement following your most recent payment, and does that show the current balance of £60 debit?

Don't shoot the messenger, I am just asking to check whether the £60 is actually owed, or just the sum of the two months where the DD didn't go through.

For example, with my energy company (not Symbio), my DD is set to £118, but this month I had charges of £167 and am £90 credit.  In the summer months, my charges were £90-100, so the DD is set to try to balance out.

I'm on fixed tariff, and they are charging precisely £28.52 each month since Jan 2020. The £60 is just the sum of the two months where the DD didn't go through.

For the final bill I have to wait, I can be even slightly in credit. When I switched to neon reef, the next day Symbio wrote to me:

"We have received a notification that another supplier is taking over the supply of your meter.

Unfortunately, due to the following reasons we have objected to the switch:

• Outstanding balance payable on your account.

We kindly ask you to make payment so that the account is clear. Once this is done you will be able to reinitiate the switching process with your chosen supplier.
Once this is done you will be able to reinitiate the switching process with your chosen supplier."

They don't even specify what the amount is. But I am keeping track of every payment and meter reading, thank God. So I know exactly what I have to pay.

The main question is are you on a "fixed direct debit". If you are paying exactly the same value each month as your direct debit then that doesn't necessarily mean you will be in credit or debit. Symbio have a habit of overestimating usage and overcharging people so most usually end up in credit, which is why its suprising your switch was blocked.
The difference can be due to lockdown, most peoples electricity and gas usage has increased to much higher than the annual estimates used to originally calculate direct debit amounts. (as people are working from home or have kids at home, using more energy than usual) If you're on a variable direct debit where the actual amount of energy usage is billed every month (due to you submitting regular meter readings) then your balance should be relatively close to breaking even. Also, its been an extremely cold winter, if you are only one electric and not gas, this would could have a big impact on electricity usage.

If you're just paying a fixed sum every month (even though you may well be giving regular monthly meter readings) you are either going to be in a lot of credit (if you are using less energy than they originally predicted) or may be in more debit than you think (as you've used more energy than you've been charged for.)

Symbio put me on a fixed direct debit after I had a massive go at them for overcharging me at the beginning. My usage has been higher than my direct debits, they have as a result at intervals automatically increased my direct debit for a 3 month period (informing me by email beforehand) to make up the deficit then reassessing, which doesn't bother me as id rather not give them free money. The fact that they haven't done that for you suggests one of a few things.
1. They've made a total cockup - quite possible
2. Your account is actually in credit (so your switch should have gone through) - less likely
3. Your account is in debit and you actually owe more than you think (well, more than the 2 months fixed direct debit payments) - quite possible
4. You have calculated it all and you owe £60 and they've been a bit OTT to block your switch.

You tell us you have all the meter readings etc and you know you're on a fixed tariff. What you haven't told us is if you actually did the sums and have worked out your usage to date based on your actual readings and not what symbio said (as a few of us advised you to earlier) to actually calculate the cost of your usage. Or, whether you have just looked at your bills. (the symbio bills are outrageously overcomplicated, due to their billing method)
When they failed to take direct debits from you did they email you bills during those months? did the bills say direct debits were supposed to be taken?

I am on a fixed tariff, and the DD is fixed £28.52 each month. I did all the calculations based on the actual meter reading, 10.475p per kw/h, standing charge 22 p per day, the tariff name is: Symbio winter monthly plan january 20 v1. These calculations are pretty simple. They send some sort of "bills" with strange code to interpret, not even in pdf, but I saved screenshot of every "bill". I know the only thing I can rely on is what my bank statements say, and my own calculations. During those two months they didn't explain why they failed to charge me, and never sent an email about it..

I am on their fixed tariff with variable DD as my usage/DD changes every month especially now in this weather.

You must have very good control of your monthly usage to use exactly £28:52 per month?

I just save the monthly emailed bills to one folder.

Swipe

They also didn't take 2 DD from me last year as 2 of my bills were negative. Yesterday I got an email saying I owed them £21 and they'll increase my next 3 DDs by £7

molerat

As you are paying by fixed monthly DD what does it show as "TOTAL AMOUNT DUE" on the latest PDF bill ?

What does it show as "unpaid amount" or some such in the on line bill ?

helpthetenant

molerat said:

As you are paying by fixed monthly DD what does it show as "TOTAL AMOUNT DUE" on the latest PDF bill ?

What does it show as "unpaid amount" or some such in the on line bill ?

In one of the last email they want me to pay a misterious £26, before the switch can be made. They don't send pdf bills. The last email is very different

t0rt0ise

My bills from them open in pdf when I add .pdf to the file name. I always thought it odd that I have to do that.

pallyman

It seems symbio are in trouble with ofgem again and on trust pilot have the same complaint despite despite being in credit,glad i read this thread so will stay clear of them,Hope you get your move quickly and would start a complaint as soon as possible,Good luck.

molerat

helpthetenant said:

molerat said:

As you are paying by fixed monthly DD what does it show as "TOTAL AMOUNT DUE" on the latest PDF bill ?

What does it show as "unpaid amount" or some such in the on line bill ?

In one of the last email they want me to pay a misterious £26, before the switch can be made. They don't send pdf bills. The last email is very different

When I was with them there was always a monthly PDF bill attached to the monthly e-mail. There is also an "unpaid amount" in the on line summary.

Harryo

This is a long thread for a little matter - however I am adding to it. I am in the same boat. Symbio blocking my switch. Spent a few hour (perhaps not wasted as you cannot let con merchants get away) of my life and determined their calcs are incorrect and their procedures contrevene our Contract and Ofgem requirements (although from their antics last year they seem to have no respect for Ofgem). I am in credit and not debit as they have been stating. Sent letter as follows:

I am totally amazed at the audacity of your company regarding the email below.

It is normal industry practice (and I would assume also a requirement of Ofgem) for a final account to be issued AFTER a change of energy supply has taken place, which would show either a credit or debit is applicable to the customer, after which point the balance, either way,  would become owed.

 In fact, you state within Clause 7.3 of your contract, under 'Switching from Symbio Energy', "" You have 30 working days after receiving a notification to pay us the outstanding charges when you have notified us you intend to switch"". This supports that your company agrees with this normal industry practice and expects to be bound by this procedure. I consider that you are clearly contravening our agreed Contract.

 I also note within Ofgem ‘Switch Energy Supplier and Shop for a Better Deal’ that they consider there must be a suitable reason for an energy supplier to object to a switch. The only reason you state you are objecting to my switch is that there is an outstanding balance payable on my account. As stated previously, your objection is unacceptable and a breach of our Contract.

 You have sent me a separate email which states that I have an outstanding overdue amount of £56.73. This is totally incorrect. My actual account status is as follows (note you failed to collect August and October direct debit payments due to a fault with your system last year and therefore you have only collected 10 payments from me):

 amount paid to date:            10 x £62.10 =                          £621.00

 Initial Opening Peak Reading:                    40639 kWhr

Initial Opening Off-Peak Reading:              36523 kWhr

Current Peak Reading:                                43590 kWhr

Current Off Peak Reading:                          38352 kWhr

No. of Days From 01/03/20 to 26/01/21 =   332 days

 Therefore actual cost of my electricity = ((43590-40639)*0.12674) + ((38352-36523)*0.08785) + (332*0.22) = £607.72

 I am therefore in CREDIT by £13.28 and NOT in DEBIT.

 To my knowledge you therefore have absolutely no reason to object to my switch.

 I assume your reason for trying to prevent me from switching is a ‘Win-Back’ Activity, which is outlawed by Ofgem.

 I am happy to pay my next DD, which is due shortly,  as per our contract agreement. I would advise however that I will be cancelling this if I do not receive timely confirmation from you that you will not be increasing the amount.

 I look forward to your response before I submit the whole matter to Ofgem.

I would also advise that I will be holding your company totally responsible for any further delay which results in a financial loss to me due to your inappropriate procedures and obvious failures in your computations.

Gerry1

Harryo said:

I look forward to your response before I submit the whole matter to Ofgem.

You would need to go to the Ombudsman, not Ofgem.

niktheguru

Harryo said:

This is a long thread for a little matter - however I am adding to it. I am in the same boat. Symbio blocking my switch. Spent a few hour (perhaps not wasted as you cannot let con merchants get away) of my life and determined their calcs are incorrect and their procedures contrevene our Contract and Ofgem requirements (although from their antics last year they seem to have no respect for Ofgem). I am in credit and not debit as they have been stating. Sent letter as follows:

I would also advise that I will be holding your company totally responsible for any further delay which results in a financial loss to me due to your inappropriate procedures and obvious failures in your computations.

Wow, hope you get it sorted asap.
Did you speak to them on the phone explaining this first? Perhaps that could sort it quicker....but relies on you speaking to someone who knows what they are doing there.....theres only a few of those in my experience, the rest are standard call centre read of the sheet types, but certainly worth a try. Certainly when I had issues with them I called and did it that way, took about 3-4 calls to get to someone who actually knew what they were doing. They usually ask for "written proof" which is pretty ridiculous as its all in front of them.

Hope you get it sorted quickly. If after the first reply (when you get one) they don't come with a solution, ask for a deadlock letter so you can go to ofgem straight away rather than having to wait.
It will probably be helpful to send a photo of your meter with the current meter reading too, just to prove that the reading is accurate so they have no excuses.

Good luck!