Outfox the Market

Founded in 2017, Outfox the Market says it exists to save customers money on their energy bills.

It also claims to be committed to a world run on green energy and sells tariffs backed by 100% renewable electricity from offshore wind farms. 

Outfox the Market frequently launches new tariffs, which are often among the cheapest on the market. 

However, if you're tempted by the energy firm's bold pricing claims, you should check if it's definitely the cheapest for your energy usage and where you live. In 2019, the Advertising Standards Authority ruled against ads that appeared to suggest its tariffs were universally the cheapest, when there was insufficient evidence that this was the case.

Customers with prepayment meters can't currently join Outfox the Market. You’ll need to receive your bills electronically, too, so it might not be right for everyone.

Read on to find out how Outfox the Market compares with more longstanding brands for price and customer service.

Compare gas and electricity prices using Which? Switch to see if you could save money with Outfox the Market.

Outfox the Market customer score

Outfox the Market shot to first place this year, from 19th place last year, out of 25 energy companies rated by 7,460 members of the public in the annual Which? energy companies satisfaction survey – the broadest independent view of energy companies available.

Despite topping our table, we couldn't make it a Which? Recommended Provider because it didn't respond fully to our procedures questions and had to be ordered to make a payment for the feed-in tariff scheme by energy regulator Ofgem.

Customers were most positive about the accuracy of its bills and value for money.

Outfox the Market score breakdown

The graphic below shows the breakdown of Outfox the Market’s score in our latest survey. Scroll down to read our verdict on this energy firm and to find out more about its prices.

Find out how Outfox the Market compares with other energy firms in our guide to the best and worst energy companies.

Which? verdict on Outfox the Market

Outfox the Market is a newcomer to the energy market and was rated in our survey for only the second time this year. Feedback reveals that customers are happy with all areas of its offering. The company seems to have significantly improved its customer service since last year, as customers are much happier with it than previously.

Customers clearly feel it lives up to its promise of saving them money as it gained a five-star value for money rating – the only company to do so this year. 

In fact, 96% of its customers in our survey said Outfox the Market was either 'good' or 'excellent' value for money. The average across all suppliers is 70%.

This is likely thanks to Outfox the Market’s tariffs often being among the cheapest listed on price comparison websites. It frequently launches new tariffs, and withdraws others, although one fixed deal currently available comes with exit fees of £30 per fuel.

Outfox the Market’s customers also rated the accuracy of its bills and how easy they are to understand as excellent and good respectively.

Customers gave Outfox the Market four stars for customer service – the highest rating for this measure achieved in our survey this year, which is shared by four other companies. 

We didn’t get enough responses to rate how Outfox the Market handles complaints, but according to data from Ofgem it only resolved 25% of complaints within two working days in the first half of 2020 – one of the worst records for this among the companies in our survey – and a below average 82% within eight weeks. 

However, it received the lowest number of complaints per 1,000 customers, of just over two.

When we included Outfox the Market in our September 2020 energy company call-waiting times investigation it was the fastest to respond on live chat, in just 10 seconds, on average. Across all 18 firms included for live chat, 3 minutes 6 seconds was the average response time.

On the phone, it took 3 minutes 14 seconds on average to pick up. This was faster than the average across all 31 firms (5 minutes 57 seconds).

Pros: Competitive prices; fast to respond on live chat

Cons: It doesn't supply prepayment meters; slow to handle complaints

Outfox the Market electricity sources

Outfox the Market in the news

Outfox the Market in 2020

February: Outfox the Market faced action from energy regulator Ofgem for not paying the £602,930 it owed for the feed-in tariffs scheme. 

If it didn't pay, Outfox the Market could ultimately have had its license to supply gas and electricity revoked and paid a penalty, Ofgem said.

Outfox the Market in 2019

September: The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint against Outfox the Market’s claims that it was the cheapest energy supplier in the UK, or the cheapest green energy tariff. 

It said: ‘We had not seen sufficient evidence showing that Outfox the Market consistently and regularly offered the cheapest energy and green energy tariff to all consumers in the UK, [so] we concluded that the ads were misleading.’

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