Unresolved Symbio Energy Final Bill problem of £1,866.00!

Coffeyboy

On the 1/12/21 Symbio Energy emailed me a Final Bill for £1,866.00 – for over 14,800+ KWH of electricity I had not consumed. I’m hoping someone can provide me with some guidance on how to resolve this issue as I feel like I’m just going round in circles with Symbio.

  I had been with Symbio since 30/3/21 and in this rental property since 19/2/21. According to Final Bill I received the 14,800+ KWH can be sourced back to the opening estimated readings they were provided by the previous supplier to the property and the readings I provided via their online account portal, with photographs included. I also provided the 30/3/21 readings as a final reading to the previous short-term supplier.

  From what I can understand based on communication with both the previous supplier and Symbio, Symbio failed to formally/informally dispute the estimated (and incorrect for the date) readings with provided by the previous supplier. Consequently leaving me with this huge Final Bill.

 From the first day of receiving this Final Bill until now (17/12/21) I have been communicating with Symbio via email (cc’ing in the Administrators) asking them to credit the amount in full based on the estimate they were provided by the previous supplier being incorrect versus the actual readings I provided (with photographs) – readings they are apparently disregarding.

 To date, Symbio have repeatedly been telling me there is nothing they can do as they have ceased trading and that I need to contact the new supplier E.on Next. Eventually, Symbio acknowledged the source of the problem, but have not provided any response stating that they will credit this huge bill or take any other course of action to fix the problem.

What can I do next?

QrizB

Sounds like a nightmare!

What were the meter readings:

• When you moved in on the 19th of February;
• When you joined Symbio on the 30th of March;
• Used by Symbio to close your account on the 1st of December;
• Today?
  

Reed_Richards

Coffeyboy said:

  From what I can understand based on communication with both the previous supplier and Symbio, Symbio failed to formally/informally dispute the estimated (and incorrect for the date) readings with provided by the previous supplier. Consequently leaving me with this huge Final Bill.

That's not the way things work.  When changing suppliers you provide your new supplier with an opening reading.  Your new supplier passes it to an independent adjudicator who compares it with previous reading to look for any large disparity.  The independent adjudicator then passes the reading (potentially adjusted if a disparity is found) to your new and your previous supplier.  So they both use the same figure for the closing reading on your final bill from the old supplier and the opening reading with your new supplier.

jbuchanangb

You only owe Symbio for energy consumed from 30 March to 2 October. From 3 October onwards it is E.ON Next. You have the readings for 30 March. Hopefully you have readings for a date around 3 October, preferably the ones you supplied to E.ON Next. (With Symbio it was normal to submit readings on last day of every month so you should have the 30 September readings at least, easy enough to add a couple of days estimate)

Therefore you can calculate how many days you were with Symbio, multiply that by the daily rate, and how many units used, multiply by the unit rate. Add those together and that's how much you owe Symbio. (After deducting anything you have paid them of course.)

You don't say whether there is open question about what you owe to the supplier from 19 February to 29 March. That shouldn't affect what Symbio are charging.

Fred2712

Either supplier can raise the dispute so I would go back to the original supplier from when you moved in & ask them to raise a dispute on their final change of supply reads.

Coffeyboy

QrizB said:

Sounds like a nightmare!

What were the meter readings:

• When you moved in on the 19th of February;
• When you joined Symbio on the 30th of March;
• Used by Symbio to close your account on the 1st of December;
• Today?
  

 It is a nightmare! On the 30th March I provided readings and photographs of those readings to Symbio via the online cutomer account portal.

 The previous supplier (BULB - the supplier when I moved in) received meter reaadings from me - I have their 'thankyou for the meter reading' emails. BULB did not update their system with my readings - I have photographs from that period too and a zero balance on that account.

 Symbio's account was transferred to E.on Next which is currently i currently in credit.

Coffeyboy

jbuchanangb said:

You only owe Symbio for energy consumed from 30 March to 2 October. From 3 October onwards it is E.ON Next. You have the readings for 30 March. Hopefully you have readings for a date around 3 October, preferably the ones you supplied to E.ON Next. (With Symbio it was normal to submit readings on last day of every month so you should have the 30 September readings at least, easy enough to add a couple of days estimate)

Therefore you can calculate how many days you were with Symbio, multiply that by the daily rate, and how many units used, multiply by the unit rate. Add those together and that's how much you owe Symbio. (After deducting anything you have paid them of course.)

You don't say whether there is open question about what you owe to the supplier from 19 February to 29 March. That shouldn't affect what Symbio are charging.

 I provided Symbio with monthly readings - twice with supporting photographs and nearly always on the 30th of the month. All my readings were recorded and were available to view at their online customer account portal - all as I had imputted them. All the electricity supplied by Symbio has been paid in full.

 At no time when I was a customer did Symbio flag with me that there was an opening reading issue - relating tot he previous supplier.

Coffeyboy

Fred2712 said:

Either supplier can raise the dispute so I would go back to the original supplier from when you moved in & ask them to raise a dispute on their final change of supply reads.

I did do this, but it's BULB, and they are now in Administration. BULB advised me Symbio should have raised a dispute and that they (BULB) had no record of Symbio having done that. Symbio can't do it because they're in Administration and the first I know of there being an issue as after they have ceased trading.

Thank you for responding - it's appreciated.

[Deleted User]

What was the final reading on your Bulb account? This is the reading that would/should have been used to open your Symbio account. As the gaining supplier, Symbio was responsible for providing Bulb with an industry-validated meter reading. You should use the Bulb closing reading to challenge the Administrators at Symbio if the readings are different as both suppliers are required to use the same reading. There is little that the SoLR can do to help and The Energy Ombudsman will not be interested as Symbio no longer holds a Supply Licence.

It is of course possible that you have under paid Bulb if the closing reading was low.

Fred2712

It sounds like the issue is with your move in reads with Bulb not being used & therefore the estimated change of supplier reads in March also not being correct.
It unlikely Bulb would agree new Change of supply read in March until your move in reads for Feb have been corrected first.
I thought Bulb were still trading ??? also worth remembering disputes can only be raised between suppliers up to 1 year from the date involved.

wild666

The date you got the keys for the place would be the date you took on the property and the date you should have taken the opening reading from the meter(s), not the date you moved in, some landlords have the heating on in winter to stop mould and damp occurring in the property. Sometimes they set the temperature high and expect a new tenant to pay the bill if the place is unoccupied for a short time. 

I take daily electric readings and weekly gas readings. If you can account for all your readings with the suppliers, bulb & symbio and the figures tally with what you've paid then you owe nothing.