Outfox The Market Direct Debit changes

Merlin139

I have just spent a rather painful 35 minutes on the phone about my Direct Debit (DD) in response to an E-mail this morning about the fact that my DD had been cancelled.

Finally spoke to someone in the credit control department who seems to know less about accounts than my 8 month old Grandson! He was adamant that all accounts had been reviewed and the increase in my DD over the winter months was due the increase in use and the rise of the unit cost price. When I pointed out I was on a fixed rate until the 29th August 2019, he said that it could go up! :rotfl:

It amazes me how sympathetic everyone who I speak to at OFTM is and that they understand where I am coming from but they have to tow the party line!

They can reinstate my DD but it will not be able to collect the payment for 14 days so I will miss the DD due date on my account by more than 5 days! For that reason they will bill my account the £25 charge 5 days after my due date.

I can prevent this if I pay this months payment by debit card!

He did offer to refund the balance on my account less 1 months new DD payment which in my case would be £198.44 They have a 5 day backlog of refund request at this time!

For reference my old DD was £61.38 and my new DD is 85.93 winter and £36.83 summer. My account is £284.37 in credit and based on my calculations with my usage upto today if you added this months £61.38 to it I would still be £317.64 in credit. That payment of £61.38 would take my payments since Feb 2018 to £610.38.

My EAC for Gas and Electric totals 622.41 (What OFTM think I will use in 12 months 2168 kWh Electric 9942 kWh Gas) last 4 years have used a total of 8907 kWh Electric and 36658 kWh Gas.

I have sent 3 emails to them saying they can reinstate my DD after they have conducted a true review of my account and can justify the figures.

So I think I will wait for my complaint to take it course.

[Deleted User]

Hi doh,
If you aren't scunnered by these so called cheap energy deals, There is still a mass switch going on at the Cheap Energy Club, if you are interested...
see url: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub
I am due to switch over from OFTM in December. It is a fixed deal.
I am on my 3rd company now in as many months. Didn't know it was going to be such an eventual journey...:beer:
ATB
Dougie.

Merlin139

DouglasRankine wrote: »

Hi doh,
If you aren't scunnered by these so called cheap energy deals, There is still a mass switch going on at the Cheap Energy Club, if you are interested...
see url: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub
I am due to switch over from OFTM in December. It is a fixed deal.
I am on my 3rd company now in as many months. Didn't know it was going to be such an eventual journey...:beer:
ATB
Dougie.

Best for me would be Pure Planet Variable costing me £79 more per year. :rotfl:

Best Fixed rate for me is First Utility fixed until Feb 2020 £129 per year with £150 exit fee and would have to have a smart meter fitted by Aug 2019. :rotfl:

JBH

I have just enrolled with Outfox and as with others above have seen a 40% hike in overall energy costs which now makes them more expensive than my previous supplier NPOWER! They sent me one email on the 14th Nov with the changes in winter summer payments but still totalling the costs predicted by them at the switch, 24 hrs later for the same periods all costs were increased by the 40%. I have contacted by email re disputing the hike in monthly payments (both winter and summer) but as yet had no response. I don't think their communication skills are particularly efficient to say the least, that is unless they are receiving money. My question is should I just jump ship now and look for another deal or wait to see if the ever respond, I think the former is more likely to be my route. I cant abide poor business practices especially when it is my money involved.

Peter_Vince

I, too, was disappointed when the dual payment structure was introduced - it was nice having a fixed rate all year. However, a) that wasn't going to happen with a variable tariff, b) it was only a few years ago I was paying quarterley for what I had actually used, so very variable and unpredictable, and c) it likely makes sense (especially for a smaller company) from a cash-flow perspective: they presumably have to pay for the energy used, as it is used. If our account balance runs negative in the high-usage winter months, they are going to need a large float to cover that until we pay up next summer.


So yes, I have also queried the new figures they have given me, as they seem to have over-estimated my usage (unless it is a REALLY cold winter), but if this helps the smaller, newer company keep going, and keep providing a cheaper rate than the competition - I'm for it.

gb908010

I have decided to switch over to GNE which is a 2 year fixed, yes its slightly more expensive but i cant be hassled with the constant BS from these idiots.

Scatty

gb908010 wrote: »

I have decided to switch over to GNE which is a 2 year fixed, yes its slightly more expensive but i cant be hassled with the constant BS from these idiots.

I've gone for their one year fix and it's only 2p an hour more expensive but the standing charge is lower than my OTM membership fee. They seem so much more professional already!

SteveG2010

I heat my house with gas.
My Outfox account is for electricity only.
I therefore have no seasonal variation between summer and winter, and my recorded usage over the last 7 years proves it.

But they still want to vary my DD, which is clearly illogical.

BedrockFred

Peter_Vince wrote: »

I, too, was disappointed when the dual payment structure was introduced - it was nice having a fixed rate all year. However, a) that wasn't going to happen with a variable tariff, b) it was only a few years ago I was paying quarterley for what I had actually used, so very variable and unpredictable, and c) it likely makes sense (especially for a smaller company) from a cash-flow perspective: they presumably have to pay for the energy used, as it is used. If our account balance runs negative in the high-usage winter months, they are going to need a large float to cover that until we pay up next summer.


So yes, I have also queried the new figures they have given me, as they seem to have over-estimated my usage (unless it is a REALLY cold winter), but if this helps the smaller, newer company keep going, and keep providing a cheaper rate than the competition - I'm for it.

What you have failed to take in consideration is there are many customers with high credit on their accounts and just as many sign up in summer as winter.
Take a look through this thread many like me have around £200 in credit and the new payments they expect me to make would push up my credit balance, OFTM even admitted that
OFTM will not be the cheapest with their new price rises coming next month, they have already raised the membership (standing charge) fee, with the new provide I am switching to the standing charge works out lower than my OFTM membership fee.

ben501

DouglasRankine wrote: »

There is still a mass switch going on at the Cheap Energy Club, if you are interested...

Good luck on that. I'm losing faith in MSE, the money savers friend. Numerous comments about out of date information on the Cheap energy Club. I know some of them may be because energy companies have not supplied up to date details, but there are others which they have been told about and appear to be ignoring.


Nothing new though. One of my previous tariffs which I joined through an 'MSE big switch', was never even listed on their energy club tariff list, so there was no way for me to submit my details & be notified when something better came along. This was a deal supposedly obtained by MSE, so hardly one they could deny knowledge of.