This statistic shows the preferred method of switching energy suppliers by customers in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2017, by region. Across all regions, at least half of all respondents would prefer to use the internet to perform the switch independently.

Customers in Northern Ireland are the least interested in switching suppliers online by themselves. However, this is still the preferred method overall with ** percent of the respondents indicating they would prefer to manage the process by themselves. Switching on the basis of face to face advice is the least popular method of switching across all regions.

When switching electricity suppliers, ** percent of respondents to a survey conducted by Ipsos for OFGEM cited a desire to save money as their primary reason to make to switch. Other triggers include moving home, customer service, and wanting to switch to a more environmentally friendly tariff.

British Gas is the largest retail electricity supplier in Great Britain. Despite a notable decline throughout the years, it still accounted for ** percent of the market as of December 2024. E.ON followed closely, with a market share of ** percent.  Changes in the Big Six  The electricity market in Great Britain has historically been controlled by a few providers, collectively known as the Big Six. These include British Gas, E.ON, SSE, EDF, Npower, and Scottish Power. However, recently, there have been significant changes in their composition. In January 2020, OVO Energy acquired SSE's electricity and gas distribution business, albeit continuing to sell energy under the SSE brand. Meanwhile, Npower was acquired by E.ON in 2019, turning the Big Six into a de-facto Big Five.  Growing competition in the British electricity supply market  In 2010, the Big Six held *** percent of the domestic electricity supply market in GB. To promote a more competitive market, the British energy regulator, Ofgem, enacted a series of market reforms aimed at increasing access for smaller players. The past decade has seen a significant number of domestic customers switching from large electricity suppliers to small and mid-tier suppliers, causing the Big Six’s market share to dip to ** percent in 2024.