Outfox the Market reviews: add your feedback

MWT

The Cheaper Tariff Message (CTM) has to be provided to the customer at least once per year, so it depends how long you were with them...

Also keep in mind that if your current tariff had exit penalties that would make it harder to find a cheaper tariff while you were still within the contractual period for that tariff.

... but if there is no cheaper tariff they are still required to tell you that you are on the cheapest tariff at least once a year...

Clif

Outfox The Market have no exit fees so within the first 6 months I had 6 different tariffs (each one cheaper than the last) and currently on Fix'd 20 9.0 since March because wholesale prices have begun creeping up, therefore, it's a heads you win, tails you don't lose company!

MWT

Clif said:

Outfox The Market have no exit fees so within the first 6 months I had 6 different tariffs (each one cheaper than the last) and currently on Fix'd 20 9.0 since March because wholesale prices have begun creeping up, therefore, it's a heads you win, tails you don't lose company!

That's all good, but in terms of the question about the CTM, at no point that 6 months would they have been obliged to tell you about the cheaper tariffs, as long as they tell you once every 12 months they are compliant.

MWT

Clif said:

All Outfox The Market bills state: "You can visit www.outfoxthemarket.co.uk at any time to see our available tariffs." This probably makes them compliant with the cheapest Tariff Message?

Nope.

They have to tell you that there is a cheaper option, or tell you that you are on the cheapest option at least once a year.

They do have to do the calculations to determine which message to give you, can't duck the obligation and just point at their tariff list...

Gerry1

Clif said:

All Outfox The Market bills state: "You can visit www.outfoxthemarket.co.uk at any time to see our available tariffs." This probably makes them compliant with the cheapest Tariff Message?

Nope.  Not compliant with Section 31F of the Standard Conditions of electricity and supply licences.

MWT

Annfield_East said:

Compliant?

Pretty close I'd say.

The 'Relevant Cheapest Tariff' is supposed to be the one closest to your current tariff and should at most require a change in payment method. The second one quoted should be the overall cheapest tariff but has no restrictions on being similar to your current tariff so could include a requirement for a smart meter for example.

So my only hesitation is the reference in the 'Relevant Cheapest Tariff' to 'This tariff may have different terms and conditions and may include exit fees' as it is not supposed to be significantly different to your current tariff...

MWT

Annfield_East said:

When Fix'd 20 9.0 was quoted on CEC there were no early exit fees. Perhaps other OTM tariffs have them, or maybe its just a requirement for suppliers to mention such possibilities as a matter of course. 

The reason for there being two messages is the first one should require almost no thought at all, at most you might have a difference in the way it is paid, so the reference to exit fees shouldn't apply to the first one and if there is nothing cheaper that is that close to your current tariff it should just say that you are already on the cheapest.

The second one has none of those restrictions, it just has to be cheaper and can vary in all sorts of ways in the T&C so the warning message is appropriate to that one.

Talldave

Clif said:

Unfortunately, we live in a nanny state because everyone should do their own research, but as a regulated supplier I think Outfox The Market will comply with the Cheapest Tariff Message on anniversary bills, unless anyone can prove me wrong?

I wouldn't be so sure. When it comes to compliance with regulations, the directors of Foxglove Energy don't appear to be complying with the legal requirement to file annual accounts for their parent company do they?

Talldave

In what way is advising a customer that the cheapest tariff is one that's not available compliant? 

MWT

Talldave said:

In what way is advising a customer that the cheapest tariff is one that's not available compliant? 

Hmm... looks like someone has been deleting their messages since we replied, I can't get the original text now but if I recall correctly the quote was from a recent but not current email, so hopefully it was an available tariff at the time.. If not then no, obviously not compliant.