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How many people switch energy?
The number of people switching energy suppliers has been steadily growing each year since 2014, with the total number of gas and electricity switches almost doubling in that time.
Here are the latest energy switching figures, as provided by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), along with some reason why now is a great time to switch, as provided by the energy experts at UKPower.
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Is energy switching on the rise?
After 2019 became a record-breaking year for energy switching, the latest BEIS figures show that 2020 is shaping up to be an even bigger year.
The number of people switching energy in the first three months of 2020 is up by 5% on the 2019 figures, with a total of 2,640,000 making the switch between January and March this year, compared with 2,510,000 during the same period last year.
How many people have switched electricity in 2020?
1,419,000 people switched electricity in the first quarter of 2020. The number of people switching electricity has risen steadily each month during 2020, as the table below shows:
| Month in 2020 | Number of Electricity Switches |
|---|---|
| January | 434,000 |
| February | 439,000 |
| March | 564,000 |
How many people switch electricity each year?
The number of people switching electricity has increased every year since 2014, and the UK now has almost 6 million people switching electricity each year, as the table below shows:
| Year | Number of Electricity Switches |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 3,058,000 |
| 2015 | 3,396,000 |
| 2016 | 4,420,000 |
| 2017 | 5,118,000 |
| 2018 | 5,402,000 |
| 2019 | 5,946,000 |
Although last year was a record year for electricity switching, the 5,946,000 who switched suppliers is only 21% of the 28,556,000 UK households that have an energy contract - that means more than three-quarters of electricity customers are potentially overpaying for energy.
How many people have switched gas in 2020?
1,203,000 people switched gas in the first quarter of 2020. Although the number of gas switches are consistently lower than the number of electricity switches, the number of people switching gas has still risen steadily each month during 2020, as the table below shows:
| Month in 2020 | Number of Gas Switches |
|---|---|
| January | 340,000 |
| February | 406,000 |
| March | 457,000 |
How many people switch gas each year?
The number of people switching gas has increased every year since 2014, and the UK now has almost 5 million people switching gas each year, as the table below shows:
| Year | Number of Gas Switches |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 2,282,000 |
| 2015 | 2,709,000 |
| 2016 | 3,347,000 |
| 2017 | 4,144,000 |
| 2018 | 4,517,000 |
| 2019 | 4,822,000 |
Although last year was a record year for gas switching, the 4,822,000 who switched suppliers is only 20% of the 23,550,500 UK households that have an energy contract - that means more than three-quarters of electricity customers are potentially overpaying for energy.
How many people have switched energy in 2020?
2,640,000 people switched energy in the first quarter of 2020. The number of people switching energy has risen steadily each month during 2020, with more than 1 million switches in March, as the table below shows:
| Month in 2020 | Number of Energy Switches |
|---|---|
| January | 774,000 |
| February | 845,000 |
| March | 1,021,000 |
How many people switch energy each year?
The number of people switching energy has increased every year since 2014, and twice as many people switched in 2019 as they did in 2014. The UK now has more than 10 million people switching gas and electricity each year, as the table below shows:
| Year | Number of Gas Switches |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 5,340,000 |
| 2015 | 6,105,000 |
| 2016 | 7,767,000 |
| 2017 | 9,262,000 |
| 2018 | 9,919,000 |
| 2019 | 10,768,000 |
Although last year was a record year for energy switching, the 10,768,000 who switched suppliers is only 21% of the 52,106,500 UK households that has an energy contract - that means more than three-quarters of electricity customers are potentially overpaying for energy.
Why now is the time to switch energy supplier
There are two main reasons why now is the right time to switch energy supplier:
- Prices are low - The coronavirus pandemic has seen a drop in global energy demand, which in turn has seen a drop in wholesale energy prices. Although prices are back on the rise, they’re still relatively low, which means you need to lock in low rates with a fixed rate deal as soon as possible.
- Winter is coming - The colder temperatures and shorter days mean we use significantly more energy during winter than during summer. And the more energy you use on the higher tariff, the higher your bills will be. So you should compare energy suppliers now and look to switch before winter kicks in.
How to switch energy supplier
How to switch energy supplier with UKPower. Simply enter your postcode and we'll compare energy prices from a range of suppliers. You then choose the one you prefer and we'll take care of the rest.
Click here to run an energy price comparison, and see if you could be paying less for your gas and electricity.
Les Roberts - Energy Expert at UKPower
If you’ve got an issue with your energy supplier, our consumer champion Les is on hand to help. A decade in consumer affairs means Les understands how confusing energy tariffs can be, so he'll cut through the jargon to help make sure you get the best deal.