Outfox EV3 tariff and BST/GMT - beware!

AlanF

Hi - I just wanted to warn other users about an issue I have just discovered after discussion with Outfox regarding their EV3 tariff. Basically their EV3 off-peak rate is permanently based on GMT, so in summer months is actually from 0100 until 0630.

The tariff states, (which is confirmed in their contract documentation), that off-peak rates are 0000 to 0530. However, for some reason (and despite them stating on their website that you can monitor this - "With a smart meter, you can track your energy consumption in real-time. Outfox Energy provides an online portal where you can view your usage and see how it aligns with peak and off-peak periods.") it is not possible to track usage to ensure it is aligned to the off-peak rates. I have asked Outfox how I can see my usage broken down into peak and off-peak rate, and all they give you is a total on-peak/off-peak sum units used at the end of the month. Their advice is to use a third party app (such as Loop or Bright) to monitor the hourly usage. I have done that, and oddly, Loop are showing that my peak usage (when I charge my car, and charge up my home battery) isn't 0000 to 0530, but is actually 2300 until 0430. I raised this with Outfox, who have confirmed that actually their system aligns to UTC/GMT, not to BST (which is correct present time). So, they are saying the actual time that customers receive the off-peak electricity (and what we should be setting usage at) is therefore 0100 to 0630m and not 0000 to 0530. They have confirmed in their response to my complaint that this is indeed the case, despite my smart meter actually showing the correct (BST) time on its display.

It's disappointing (to say the least) that this isn't advertised to their customers, and isn't stated in any contract documentation - and that Outfox also don't enable any ability to monitor - so basically the customer is assuming that they are adjusting their usage to align to their payment rates, but unless they are aware of this issue, they will be an hour out (which is significant for a 5.5 hour window), won't have any way of knowing it.

Whether or not this is unique to Outfox I don't know - I suspect it's an interface issue between smart meters and suppliers.

la531983

Certainly nothing new, isnt Economy 7 always aligned to GMT?

RelievedSheff

This will be written into the terms and conditions that you agreed to when you signed up for the tariff.

This is why it is important that you read exactly what you are signing up too.

Woodstok2000

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82115437#Comment_82115437

There is no mention of daylight savings, bst/gmt/utc in their terms that I could see.

AlanF

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82115437#Comment_82115437

Actually that is not so - no such mention in T&C or in contract documentation. In addition they have accepted my complaint and that it wasn't explained in their contract documentation, and have agreed to recalculate my bill to that 0000 to 0100 will be retrospectively charged at off-peak rate for the entire duration of my contract.

Woodstok2000

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82116027#Comment_82116027

Good result!