One-in-six gas customers switched supplier in 2020

Sixteen per cent of gas customers switched supplier in 2020, according to figures released by Gas Networks Ireland.

With suppliers offering various incentives and discounts in a competitive market, almost 114,000 of the 710,000 customers connected to the gas network took the opportunity to change supplier in an effort to reduce energy costs.

Despite two months in 2020 being among the top four on record – with 12,817 people switching in September and 12,684 in October – the annual total was down 11 per cent on 2019 (128,000).

The industrial and commercial gas market has been fully deregulated since 2005, with the residential market fully open from 2007.

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In the period since, over 1.25 million changes of suppliers have been processed by Gas Networks Ireland.

More than 70 per cent of all accounts have made at least one switch, with business customers (75 per cent) more likely to than domestic customers (70 per cent).

In excess of 800 customers have switched gas supplier more than 10 times.

Gas Networks Ireland’s head of regulatory affairs Brian Mullins said: “Ireland continues to have a high level of switching, due in no small part to the highly competitive marketplace we have, with seven domestic and eight commercial gas suppliers. These suppliers compete keenly and heavily incentivise switching.

“Switching is a simple process carried out over the phone or online via the chosen supplier. It is clear that the underlying demand for customer choice remains strong and Gas Networks Ireland is continuing to support thousands of customers every month to change their gas supplier.”