DO NOT PUT YOUR ELECTRICITY BILL ON DIRECT DEBIT! ...

DO NOT PUT YOUR ELECTRICITY BILL ON DIRECT DEBIT! I was paying a $250 per month in to my Synergy account as had a $1,000 dollar credit. The next thing I knew I had been debited an additional $4,995 from my account. This money was for my mortgage repayment. I also have a brain aneurysm so it is miraculous that when I returned back home, after caring for my father with cancer and looked in the letterbox to see that Synergy had kindly caught up payments for the past 18 months due to bill estimations, which is apparently my fault even though Synergy had been out twice a year earlier to view my meter nothing was done about it then, nor was I notified?! So it was a wonder I did not have a stroke and die on the spot after reading that bill. I rang them and told them they have used my home loan repayment to pay a bulk electricity account from 2 years prior and thrown me in to financial hardship as I am also not working. I stated that I should have been given the opportunity pay that amount off over 18 months as the law stipulates but because I have a direct debit I apparently have no rights and Synergy holds all the cards. I thought Bill shock was also illegal? Anyway, it's with the ombudsman now as Synergy's complaints department simply said to me " Oh well because you agreed to a direct debit facility we can take what we wanted because you did not ring us to stop it (because I was away,) "that is your bad luck" said Synergy "and Synergy will not be refunding you any money either because we are protected by the direct debit authority you agreed to." I then said "so it is too bad so sad, you don't care?" and the guy James said "pretty much yeah, Synergy will not be refunding you any money," you are welcome togo to the Ombudsman, here is their number. Shame on you Synergy what a bunch of inadequate administrators you are! Why did you not resolve this two years ago? You have had people out to my property to look at my meter? Now for your error and mismanagement of the billing (because I have no control over that) I am the one that has to suffer from your extremely poor processes. You would think with a bill like $5,995 for a domestic household someone would have called but when you are on direct debit you are not treated better like a loyal client you are treated with a "Gothca" clause with no duty of care whatsoever for the client! I repeat DO NOT GO ON DIRECT DEBIT! It is also interesting how I did I get the ridiculously enormous bill that could pay a whole street electricity account after I went on direct debit! Something crooked is going on there and I will ensure you are fully investigated and if this "gotcha" clause of yours in your direct debit facility which basically allows you to draw however much you want from my account whenever you want is also hurting others, I will promise you that your fine print bullshit is fully exposed via social media and will ensure you are exposed for the unethical company that you are.