Author Topic: Peoples Energy: any experiences and/or knowledge of this supplier please?  (Read 42458 times)

Just that.

It's "look around" time and they are out there with the likes of Octopus, Good Energy and more.  Just wondering if they come recommended or not and why.

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
IME if they are small and well-priced, they will go bust within a year and Ofgem will transfer you to a crap Big Six firn that it will take 2-3 months to extricate yourself from.

What does uSwitch say about them?
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

robgul

  • Cycle:End-to-End webmaster
  • cyclist, Cytech accredited mechanic & woodworker
    • Cycle:End-to-End
Others may not agree but, from bitter experience, avoid these small peripheral outfits

What worked for me was to PHONE (not a comparison site, not the company website etc) direct to British Gas - I got a 2 year fixed, dual-fuel deal at better than anything the comparison sites offered.  They offset the fee they pay to the introducer site and are then open to negotiation.

BUT you need to work out the balance between the mix of standing charges and actual consumption to get an accurate comparison - easy to do with a spreadsheet and using your past annual consumption figures.   [I have a spreadsheet calculator that I've sent to a few members in the past]

ppg

I've been with these for a couple of years now, no complaints at all
https://www.outfoxthemarket.co.uk/about/
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.outfoxthemarket.co.uk

#1 energy supplier for customer service in the 2020 Which? survey

I check with comparison sites occasionally and am always on the best tariff (OTM suggest changing tariff automatically)
 


I've been with these for a couple of years now, no complaints at all
https://www.outfoxthemarket.co.uk/about/
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.outfoxthemarket.co.uk

#1 energy supplier for customer service in the 2020 Which? survey

I check with comparison sites occasionally and am always on the best tariff (OTM suggest changing tariff automatically)
Sorry, but I'd avoid Outfox TM and any of their associated companies like the plague.
There's a whole Facebook group devoted to helping people extricate themselves from the (alleged) dodgy dealings of OTM.
The company is associated with Fischer Future Heat who apparently sell super-duper storage heaters, and if memory serves me right Trading Standards have slapped their wrists on occasions.
OTM have been alleged to be manipulating online reviews, and I'm told they aggressively pursue their detractors. Allegedly.
It took me several months and input from the ombudsman to stop using OTM.
Too many angry people - breathe & relax.

ian

I know a kind chap (Rob, I think) explained this all, but I still don't really understand any of this supplier nonsense.

I am thinking of moving to Octopus though, mostly because it conjures up an image of a cephalopod that can shoot lightning out of its tentacles, like a badboy mini-Cthulu. This might not be the most informed way of choosing a new supplier of gas and electricity. But electric tentacles, that's better than lasers, and you don't want to even think of where it shoots gas out from.

Fed up again with BG, who combine endless expense with exciting new ways to screw things up. Thanks chaps, for returning us to paper billing this time around, who needs either the text or email or phone app when I can a screwed up bill stuffed through the letter box (I assume it went to the wrong address) two weeks later than the bill date.

I've been with Octopus for a couple of years.
What I've noticed is that :
a) My monthlies are significantly less than when I was with Scottish Atlantic or whatever they're called.
b) I always seem to be ~ £300.00 in credit.
c) When I've had occasion to phone them, a real person answers pronto.

ETA - My Mum is currently in a care home, and it doesn't look like she'll be returning to her house. The house has been unoccupied since April. BG were about to put a ~20% hike on her DD, in a house which has used no gas and very little electricity in that time.

ppg

Sorry, but I'd avoid Outfox TM and any of their associated companies like the plague.
There's a whole Facebook group devoted to helping people extricate themselves from the (alleged) dodgy dealings of OTM.
The company is associated with Fischer Future Heat who apparently sell super-duper storage heaters, and if memory serves me right Trading Standards have slapped their wrists on occasions.
OTM have been alleged to be manipulating online reviews, and I'm told they aggressively pursue their detractors. Allegedly.
It took me several months and input from the ombudsman to stop using OTM.
Hmm....
https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/energy-companies/article/energy-company-reviews/outfox-the-market-acH9h4U4Etq7
Seem to be much improved now?

robgul

  • Cycle:End-to-End webmaster
  • cyclist, Cytech accredited mechanic & woodworker
    • Cycle:End-to-End
I've been with these for a couple of years now, no complaints at all
https://www.outfoxthemarket.co.uk/about/
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.outfoxthemarket.co.uk

#1 energy supplier for customer service in the 2020 Which? survey

I check with comparison sites occasionally and am always on the best tariff (OTM suggest changing tariff automatically)
Sorry, but I'd avoid Outfox TM and any of their associated companies like the plague.
There's a whole Facebook group devoted to helping people extricate themselves from the (alleged) dodgy dealings of OTM.
The company is associated with Fischer Future Heat who apparently sell super-duper storage heaters, and if memory serves me right Trading Standards have slapped their wrists on occasions.
OTM have been alleged to be manipulating online reviews, and I'm told they aggressively pursue their detractors. Allegedly.
It took me several months and input from the ombudsman to stop using OTM.

Isn't that what (almost) every business does?    - when we moved house the energy supplier was AVRO - after a long and tortuous process involving compensation awarded by the Ombudsman we escaped . . .   if you read AVRO's Trust Pilot reviews you can see the same hand writing them (and they appear to have more 4* reviews than they have customers.

Perhaps I'm cynical and distrusting but I ignore all reviews, and don't contribute them (other than ebay feedback)  - when, I think, TrustPilot says "ratings may be affected by the business advertising" (or words to that effect) it says it all.  [Please read in conjunction with RANT thread!]

felstedrider

I used to be rob.  Well, I still am.   I very rarely post after a pretty bad experience.

The sector is about to have a major upheaval so a be a little careful.  I’ll respond to genuine requests for assistance if anyone PMs me.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
I've been with Octopus for a couple of years.
What I've noticed is that :
a) My monthlies are significantly less than when I was with Scottish Atlantic or whatever they're called.
b) I always seem to be ~ £300.00 in credit.
c) When I've had occasion to phone them, a real person answers pronto.

d) They're the only company that have successfully made our smart meters work.
e) They've done an impressive job of website accessibility (and phatasmagoriana-compliance, even if the cephalopod doesn't shoot lightning).

So naturally I'm expecting...

IME if they are small and well-priced, they will go bust within a year and Ofgem will transfer you to a crap Big Six firn that it will take 2-3 months to extricate yourself from.

felstedrider

Octopus very safe.  Last market valuation was $2bn after investments from Australian and Japanese backers.

They don’t make any money but are well backed.

(I’ll stop now)

ian

I'll probably go with Octopus, despite the disappointing lack of tentacular electricity. They seem to have a decent green tariff and I just can't be arsed with BG anymore.

Hope it wasn't me Rob, it was a good (and helpful!) explanation and I get it, I just don't get it, if you see what I mean.

If anyone is thinking of moving to Octopus (who I consider to be excellent as well) - I'd suggest that they drop a PM to any of the forumites who have said they are with Octopus - and that includes me - asking for their referral link
Octopus give £50 credit to both the referred new customer and the referrer.

I'd personally discourage YACFers from posting their own links here as it could get a bit spammy. Let's leave it up to folks to ask for the link?
Too many angry people - breathe & relax.

ppg

Interesting coincidence today.
I went to submit my monthly meter reading as usual to OTM and was surprised to discover a (correct) reading already on my account, from yesterday?

Asked on Live chat worried that my senility must be advancing since I had no recollection of reading it yesterday.
Within a minute they replied that they had read my 'smart meter' which is really strange since it has been dumb for a least 5 years and was installed by EDF!

PS - according to Uswitch my current tariff is still the cheapest around, and saves £197 over Octopus Energy - DYOR


^ditto

Maybe they have finally managed to read the smart meter smartly. I've had no issues with Outfox either, although my monthly DD increased recently from £93 to £115

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Mine's gone up to £65 and I thought that was bad!  It's been about £42 for years.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

I've just done a Uswitch comparison and it says my Outfox is still the cheapest.

It must be area dependent. I'm with So Energy, and Uswitch reckons thats the best deal I can get.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

If anyone is thinking of moving to Octopus (who I consider to be excellent as well) - I'd suggest that they drop a PM to any of the forumites who have said they are with Octopus
I'm with Octopus. All ok.

ian

I'm not sure cheapest is necessarily best if they just roll over and play bankrupt in six months.

That said, from what BG are charging me, I must be getting Premium Luxurious Energy.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
If anyone is thinking of moving to Octopus (who I consider to be excellent as well) - I'd suggest that they drop a PM to any of the forumites who have said they are with Octopus
I'm with Octopus. All ok.

I've just renewed my tariff with Octopus.  I'm sure I could get cheaper if I shop around, but at this point I'm willing to pay a premium not to have random people ring on the door when I'm still asleep and expect me to move all the bikes and camping kit.

Sort of as I expected.  Very little on the topic of Peoples Energy but plenty of Octopus fans.  Octopus come very highly recommended from many sources but it's always worth knowing what the opposition are up to.

Decision not yet made ...

felstedrider

As a general point the wholesale markets for gas and power have doubled since April.

If you took out your existing deal before then it is highly unlikely that there will be a cheaper deal out there at the moment.   My current fix rolls off in January and I'm expecting a chunky increase.

Wowbagger

  • Stout dipper
    • Stuff mostly about weather
I happened to be googling something to do with Ecotricity today and I stumbled across the fact that Ecotricity have put in a hostile bid to take over Good Energy. The Good Energy man has said to reject the bid because he reckons £3.40 per share that Ecotricity are offering is way below the true value.

https://www.stockmarketwire.com/article/7213497/Good-Energy-urges-shareholders-to-reject-340p-per-share-takeover-offer-from-Ecotricity.html
Quote from: Dez
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