MSE News: Igloo Energy, Symbio Energy and Enstroga cease trading

Rodders53

https://www.eonnext.com/symbio-energy (link found from the Ofgem page about appointing them as SOLR).

You can submit your account information and a current meter reading to them.  It might (or might not) speed up their 'takeover' of Symbio accounts?

wittynamegoeshere

I was paying Symbio 12p/unit + 16p/day.

My new supplier is "Eon Next".  I got a quote from their website, their one and only tariff offered is a 24-month fix at 29p/unit + 35p/day.

I expected a rise, but this is more than double and extremely high even by today's standards.  I just hope they're required to offer a more sensible variable tariff, just for me to use until I can dump them.

tghe-retford

wittynamegoeshere said:

I was paying Symbio 12p/unit + 16p/day.

My new supplier is "Eon Next".  I got a quote from their website, their one and only tariff offered is a 24-month fix at 29p/unit + 35p/day.

I expected a rise, but this is more than double and extremely high even by today's standards.  I just hope they're required to offer a more sensible variable tariff, just for me to use until I can dump them.

More likely everyone will be moved onto Next Flex, which looking at the Cheap Energy Club unit rates is 20.316p/unit and 23.770p/day. Will be quite a shock compared to what Symbio were charging. As things stand, for me personally, only Neon Reef and Utility Warehouse beat them but how long before they go bust or withdraw from the market?

zagfles

wittynamegoeshere said:

I was paying Symbio 12p/unit + 16p/day.

My new supplier is "Eon Next".  I got a quote from their website, their one and only tariff offered is a 24-month fix at 29p/unit + 35p/day.

I expected a rise, but this is more than double and extremely high even by today's standards.  I just hope they're required to offer a more sensible variable tariff, just for me to use until I can dump them.

Fixed tariffs are above the price cap, which they're allowed to be AIUI, but we should be moved onto a variable tariff which will likely be at the price cap. Most suppliers aren't offering a variable tariff to new customers as it's below wholesale rates. But SoLR have to I believe.

wittynamegoeshere

I always knew that Symbio was stupidly cheap and was bound to go bust, I was just grabbing it while it was there.  It's just turned out really bad for me as they've massively overestimated my bills despite me supplying loads of readings (presumably not an accident), so they're now sitting on about £500 of my money.  From my point of view it looks like the company was a deliberate scam, set up with the ambition of grabbing as much money as possible before going bust.

I suppose the risk of switching is that if they go bust a month later then the tariff for the next supplier you get switched to may be higher than Eon Next are currently offering us.  But I suppose the cap will shield us, at least until April when it gets reviewed anyway.  I'm assuming that the capped rate is going to be the maximum, hopefully Ofgem wouldn't allow the new supplier to charge more than the capped rate?  Who knows though, if they can't get anyone to supply at that rate then what do they do?  Presumably they throw more money at them until they agree.

I'll get things up and running and then will think again - chances are Neon Reef and UW will have gone bust in a few weeks anyway, which will save making a decision.

I'm not worried about fixing, as the cap's pretty good until April and we won't be using much power after then anyway (we have electric heating).  I'm not going to care about the following winter, the world might have exploded by then anyway.

Donthaveaclue

I am (was) an Igloo customer for both gas and electricity. Before I was able to submit my meter readings, they billed me on the basis of estimated readings. The actual readings for both gas and electricity were lower than the estimates. Should I reasonably expect Igloo to refund me for the difference or will I inevitably end up paying twice for that energy? Overall, my account is still in credit, though obviously by not as much as it should be.

[Deleted User]

briskbeats said:

I’ve submitted my meter readings on 30/9 - with taking photos of both readings. Then I had email from Igloo yesterday to submit figures. Which did today.

Nothing from OFGEM yet 

Ofgem don’t usually contact consumers. All emails etc will come from the supplier that has been appointed as the SoLR. It is also worth looking at the SoLR’s website as most suppliers give daily progress updates. 

QrizB

Donthaveaclue said:

I am (was) an Igloo customer for both gas and electricity. Before I was able to submit my meter readings, they billed me on the basis of estimated readings. The actual readings for both gas and electricity were lower than the estimates. Should I reasonably expect Igloo to refund me for the difference or will I inevitably end up paying twice for that energy? Overall, my account is still in credit, though obviously by not as much as it should be.

You won't pay twice for the energy. Your new supplier will ask for a meter reading and adjust your billing accordingly.

Donthaveaclue

So are you saying that my new supplier will refund me for the overestimate and consequent overcharge by Igloo?

QrizB

Donthaveaclue said:

So are you saying that my new supplier will refund me for the overestimate and consequent overcharge by Igloo?

You will only get charged once for each kilowatt-hour.

Estimated readings are just that, estimates. When your new supplier contacts you they will ask for an actual meter reading. They will comapre this to the last actual meter reading Igloo hold and use that number to calculate how much energy you have used. They will calculate what that should have cost and adjust your account balance accordingly. Any credit will be carried over and will go towards funding future use.

If you leave your new supplier before spending your credit, it will be refunded. Potentially, if it's a large enough amount, you might be able to ask for some of it to be paid back to you while you are still a customer.