Is this Outfox renewal comparison misleading?

itsChimpanzee

My Outfox Energy contract is up for renewal and I clicked the link in the email to see what was on offer. They list 3 tariffs in the "Fixed Tariffs" section but one of them tracks the energy price cap.

Is it normal to describe a tracking tariff as "Fixed"? I almost selected it but decided to double-check with their chat first and they confirmed the "Price Cap Tracker 12M Dual - 5% Minimum Energy Discount - V1" rates will change as the price cap changes during the contract length.

It also doesn't state that the price will change in the detailed tariff description below. Am I the idiot here? Is this common parlance with this sort of thing and I should know that "Tracker" means in-contract price changes? I presumed it just meant that tariff will change as the cap changes but only for new sign-ups.

I decided to go with the Fix'd Dual Apr26 12M v9.0 one in the end, per MSE's current advice, but I'm just curious.

QrizB

It seems rather sharp practice to me.

It's not fixed, it's a tracker!

Some years ago Octopus had a tracker that some people joined thinking it was a fix. I think Octopus learned their lesson, but Outfox seem to want to repeat that.

itsChimpanzee

….aaaaand another thing! 😊 By what definition would they describe "Fox Standard Dual" as the "cheapest"?

kaMelo

I get what you mean but the word fixed is the the time period of twelve months rather than unit price which will follow the price cap minus five percent. The fact it tracks the price cap means it's clearly a variable tariff.

I too don't understand how the SVT can called the cheapest tariff on that comparison, it's clearly the most expensive.

DavidL1

I think it's very misleading, they shouldn't be listing it under Fixed.
I'm in the same situation, I'm oscillating between the OFTM Fix'd Dual Apr26 12M v9.0 tariff or switching to the Home Energy Fair Variable Dual deal which is a tad cheaper than OFTM, and has a zero early exit fee.

itsChimpanzee

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81975858#Comment_81975858

Yeah, if I were looking at it favorably I could see the argument for "Fixed relates to the period, not the rate" but it's a bit harder to buy when read in comparison to the "Variable Tariffs" section right below where "variable" clearly relates to the rate. If it was the contract type it would be "rolling" or something, wouldn't it?

I don't like to assume malice, but any ambiguity could be easily fixed by changing the headings to "Fixed-term Contracts" and "Rolling Contracts" (or something) and surely someone at Outfox would have thought of that and chose not to.

FreeBear

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81975832#Comment_81975832

The Octopus Tracker prices varied on a day to day basis. Octopus were quite clear on this point when I joined. I managed to save quite a bit as the daily price was often well below the SVT and fixed rates.

TroubledTarts

That is very poor representation of a tracker product and what may be cheapest.

QrizB

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81975921#Comment_81975921

"Octopus Tracker" is not the tariff I was referring to. I was referring to their "Price Promise" cap trackers.

See for example:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6344633/octopus-energy-telling-me-my-fixed-tariff-is-variable-help

Very different to Octopus Tracker, but similar to the Outfox price cap tracker referred to by the OP.

WiserMiser

They've certainly foxed it up.

Presumably they're trying to say it would be the cheapest variable tariff that Outfox can offer the OP, not that it's the cheapest tariff in the whole market.

In that case, 'Our Cheapest Quotation' would be more accurate. However, the fixed tariffs shown above it all work out cheaper.

Again, it just seems sharp practice.

One for the Ombudsman?