{"id":4723,"date":"2018-11-24T00:34:47","date_gmt":"2018-11-24T00:34:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/energy-company-apologises-for-bill-mix-up\/"},"modified":"2018-11-24T00:34:47","modified_gmt":"2018-11-24T00:34:47","slug":"energy-company-apologises-for-bill-mix-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.styledeals.co.uk\/blog\/energy-company-apologises-for-bill-mix-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Energy company apologises for bill mix up"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"Anna<\/span>

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\n Anna and Rob Kemm say they don’t trust Outfox the Market anymore and are in the process of switching their energy supplier
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An energy supplier has apologised to all 100,000 of its customers after it sent out bills that were too high.<\/p>\n

Outfox the Market admitted the mistake inflated annual bill forecasts by 25%.<\/p>\n

CEO Keith Bastian said; “It is regrettable that incorrect information was given to our valued customers and for that we are sorry.”<\/p>\n

But the accidental increase came at the same time it introduced a winter\/summer payment split, which sharply increased direct debit payments over winter.<\/p>\n

Many customers have taken to social media to complain, including Anna and Rob Kemm who share their semi-detached house just outside Chatham, Kent with their three sons.<\/p>\n

“We were paying \u00a3116 per month and then I got an email that the direct debit payment was changing to a higher winter payment and a lower summer payment.<\/p>\n

“The winter payment has now gone up to \u00a3202 per month and we’re \u00a3217.90 in credit.<\/p>\n

“Obviously I’m not happy with that, like most families you want to budget for a 12 month period and that’s a lot of money to jump six weeks before Christmas.”<\/p>\n

That jump in monthly payments does include the 25% accidental surcharge which Outfox the Market has already apologised for and won’t be charging customers.<\/p>\n

But its winter\/summer direct debit divide works on a 70\/30 split.<\/p>\n

Which would mean customers who pay \u00a3100 per month on average – would be expected to pay \u00a3140 for each of the six months of winter and \u00a360 for each of the six months of summer.<\/p>\n

That represents a significant jump in payments regardless of Outfox the Market correcting its original mistake.<\/p>\n

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Image copyright<\/span>
\n Outfox the Market<\/span><\/p>\n

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Mr Bastian said: “Introducing a winter uplift means customers’ payments simply reflect their consumption.<\/p>\n

“Payments will drop significantly throughout the summer months to reflect lower usage and overall, we remain one of the best priced suppliers in the country.<\/p>\n

This all comes at a difficult time for small energy suppliers.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week Extra Energy (108,000 customers) went bust and just yesterday Spark Energy, which supplies nearly 300,000 customers and employs 300 people in Selkirk ceased trading<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Also this week Ofgem unveiled stricter guidelines<\/a> for companies wanting to enter the energy supply market.<\/p>\n

Mark Todd, the co-founder of switching site energyhelpline says: “The energy industry is in crisis. Two suppliers have gone bust this week and seven this year.<\/p>\n

“Suppliers are getting monumentally squeezed by rising wholesale prices, cold weather and the looming price cap<\/a>, so it’s no surprise that yet another one has gone bust.<\/p>\n

“We expect more casualties this winter.”<\/p>\n

‘Outfox bye-bye’<\/h2>\n

As for Anna she’s had enough of Outfox the Market and says she doesn’t trust them anymore.<\/p>\n

“I made it my mission that we would switch.<\/p>\n

“Last Saturday evening the laptop was out, we were sat in front of the TV with Strictly on and we were trying to find the best supplier.<\/p>\n

“We’ve found a supplier we’re much more confident with, because I’ve got absolutely no confidence in Outfox the Market now.<\/p>\n

“The switch is all in process so Outfox the Market: bye-bye.”<\/p>\n

You can hear more on BBC Radio 4’s Money Box programme on Saturday at 12:00 BST or listen again <\/i>here<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

Follow <\/i>Money Box<\/a> and <\/i>Dan<\/a> on twitter.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n