Surge in numbers switching energy suppliers amid cost-of-living crisis

CRU data shows that the number of Irish customers switching energy providers rose 51.59% in September compared to the same period last year, and rose by over 30% in just month. Picture: Clive Sherlock/Alamy

Hard-pressed consumers are scrambling to secure better energy deals amid a surge in the cost of living, as the number of households switching supplier rose to its highest level since 2022, new figures show.

Amidst rising grocery bills and health insurance hikes, data from the Commission for Regulation of Utilities showed a significant jump in those switching energy supplier after a raft of price hikes from some of the major providers.

The CRU data shows that the number of customers switching rose 51.59% in September 2025 compared to the same period last year, and had jumped by over 30% in the space of just month.

The 48,216 customers switching electricity is the highest monthly number since September 2022, at the height of the inflation surge following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In recent months, many households will have seen their energy bills rise again on the back of price hike announcements from multiple suppliers.

In the space of a few weeks heading into autumn, Bord Gáis Energy, Flogas, SSE Airtricity, Pinergy and Energia all announced price rises adding hundreds of euro to customers’ annual bills.

Wholesale price down 74% since 2022 

It comes as wholesale electricity prices are on the rise, with the latest wholesale price index from the Central Statistics Office showing them jumping 6.6% in October 2025 compared to the previous month.

However, they are far lower than they had been, down 18.5% on October 2024 and a significant 74% on August 2022.

While the main suppliers which announced hikes lost customers in September, the big winners were PrePayPower/Yuno and Electric Ireland who added 3,910 and 5,675 customers respectively.

Two firms freezing prices

Both firms said in September they would be freezing rates heading into the winter. In the case of Electric Ireland, it said it would leave electricity unit rates unchanged while decreasing its gas prices.

The pressure on households to secure better deals in a bid to avoid further financial pressure comes as the number of customers in arrears continues to trend on what CRU has called “historically high levels”.

When announcing supports for households heading into the winter, including the annual moratorium on disconnections, CRU’s director of customer policy and protection Karen Trant said: “NGOs are reporting more customers in distress, and it is essential that households are protected.

“The CRU will continue to monitor the effectiveness of these measures and engage with stakeholders to explore longer-term solutions for energy affordability.” 

Figures for arrears showed 308,000 households in electricity arrears in August, before falling to 297,000 a month later, while the numbers in gas arrears at the end of August stood at 186,594.

Furthermore, the number of electricity customers in arrears for 90 days or more stood at 187,307 at the end of September, which was 8% of all households while 8% of household gas customers were also in arrears.