A record number of people switched energy suppliers last year

Almost one in five households (almost 1.6 million of the 8 million households in the Netherlands) switched energy suppliers between April 2018 and April 2019. That is a record number of switchers: never before did so many consumers switch in a single year. Once consumers have switched, they continue to do so more often. This is one of the conclusions of the Energy Monitor 2019 that the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has published.

Price is the most important reason

Price continues to be the most important reason for consumers to switch (71%), followed by gifts (for example a welcome gift) and renewable energy. Out of the households that have switched, 87% indicated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with how the switch to their new energy supplier had been processed.

Cateautje Hijmans van den Bergh, Member of the Board of ACM, comments: ‘More and more people switch. And people who switch keep on switching. With that propensity to switch, they force energy suppliers to compete. Such competition should lead to better service and to competitive prices. Some Dutch consumers are able to save 500 euros a year on their energy bills.’

Better informed

Consumers feel that they are better informed about changes in energy prices than they were in previous years. In addition, they incrasingly pay more attention to such changes. Energy suppliers have to inform consumers in a timely manner, in advance, and personally, so that consumers are able to use this information when deciding to switch or not.