There is quite healthy competition in the Irish energy market at the moment- but there is probably scope for further price cuts. Switching energy supplier is an easy way to cut bills.
Figures from the CRU show that customers who switched supplier every year for the last 4 years could have saved €704 on gas, €1,097 on electricity or €1,696 on their dual fuel costs.
Switching energy supplier is more common in Ireland than many other EU countries.
For gas supply – Ireland had the second highest rate of switching in the EU. In 2018. 20.5% of customers switched gas supplier . (Belgium was top with 22%).
For electricity, the 2018 switching rate in Ireland was 14.2%. This was the fifth-highest in the EU after Norway (21%) , UK, Belgium and Portugal.
Over 323,000 electricity customers in Ireland switched supplier in 2019. The the total number of customers switching gas supplier in 2019 was 124,000 .
How to Switch
Switching energy supplier can be one of the easiest ways to cut your energy bills. Most of the suppliers offer reduced rates and /or cashback offers to attract new customers. These reductions usually last for just a year – so to continue getting the best prices you need to switch again after a year.
Take a look at our electricity price comparison page to find the cheapest supplier.
Low switching rates are probably caused by consumers’ habits, mainly due the legacy of several decades of public monopoly with Bord Gais and ESB. (when customers had no right to switch)
Switching is free and fairly straightforward , it only involves some form filling . There are no physical changes to wires or pipes, you get exactly the same gas and electricity. The only change is that the bills and customer service come from a different company.
No matter which energy supplier you are with – if there are problems with the supply such as gas leaks or power cuts the organisations that deal with those problems remain the same.
Gas Networks Ireland are responsible for the gas supply to homes and ESB are responsible for the electricity infrastructure. There is no need to worry about the quality of the supply. The only things that the energy companies can differ on is price and customer service.
Which Supplier is the Cheapest?
Take a look at our energy price comparison page to see where you can get the best deal.