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Written by: EnergySwitch editorial team · Last reviewed: 23 October 2026
Direct answer: The latest monthly figures are for September 2026. Energy UK counted 279,496 domestic electricity switches (317,617 including businesses), 15% more than in August. ElectraLink counted about 364,000 domestic electricity changes of supplier (393,000 in total), its highest month of 2026 so far. The latest official quarterly figures from DESNZ show 789,000 electricity and 609,000 gas domestic transfers in April to June 2026. These are three different series with different definitions, so we keep them separate below and never add or mix them.
We update this page when each source publishes new data. Every figure links to the original publication.
Latest figures at a glance
| Source | What it counts | Latest period | Domestic figure | Published | Next update |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy UK | Electricity changes of supplier (domestic = profile classes 1 and 2) | September 2026 | 279,496 | 19 October 2026 | Monthly (no date given) |
| ElectraLink | Voluntary electricity changes of supplier, household meter points, rounded | September 2026 | c.364,000 | 21 October 2026 | Monthly (no date given) |
| DESNZ table 2.7.1 (Ofgem data) | Domestic electricity and gas transfers, GB, rounded to nearest thousand | April–June 2026 | 789,000 electricity; 609,000 gas | 29 September 2026 | 17 December 2026 |
Energy UK monthly electricity switching
Energy UK’s report for September 2026 was published on 19 October 2026. Domestic switches rose from 245,155 in August to 279,496. Total switches (domestic and non-domestic) were 317,617, which Energy UK says is 15% up on August and 10% up on September 2025. Of all switches, 71% were between larger suppliers. In the domestic market, small and mid-tier suppliers made a net gain of 3% relative to larger suppliers.
| Month | Domestic switches | Non-domestic switches | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 279,496 | 38,121 | 317,617 |
| Aug 2026 | 245,155 | 31,283 | 276,438 |
| Jul 2026 | 269,125 | 34,686 | 303,811 |
| Jun 2026 | 249,073 | 30,475 | 279,548 |
| May 2026 | 218,244 | 26,353 | 244,597 |
| Apr 2026 | 239,119 | 47,179 | 286,298 |
| Mar 2026 | 234,661 | 25,218 | 259,879 |
| Feb 2026 | 217,916 | 24,546 | 242,462 |
| Jan 2026 | 198,262 | 26,850 | 225,112 |
| Dec 2025 | 221,386 | 26,298 | 247,684 |
| Nov 2025 | 240,718 | 25,881 | 266,599 |
| Oct 2025 | 295,483 | 65,488 | 360,971 |
Definition: electricity only. Domestic means profile classes 1 and 2; non-domestic means profile classes 3–8 and 0. Excludes Supplier of Last Resort transfers, switches between merged companies, and internal switches within a supplier. Energy UK classes British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON, Octopus Energy, OVO (including SSE’s former domestic business) and ScottishPower as larger suppliers.
ElectraLink monthly changes of supplier
ElectraLink publishes monthly electricity change-of-supplier (CoS) figures from its industry data platform. For September 2026 (published 21 October 2026) it reports 393,000 changes of supplier, 25% more than August’s 315,000 and 22% more than September 2025’s 321,000. Domestic changes rose 26%, from 288,000 to 364,000.
| Month | Domestic | SME | I&C | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 364,000 | 22,000 | 6,000 | 393,000 |
| Aug 2026 | 288,000 | 21,000 | 6,000 | 315,000 |
| Jul 2026 | 323,000 | 31,000 | 7,000 | 362,000 |
| Jun 2026 | 305,000 | 27,000 | 6,000 | 338,000 |
| May 2026 | 210,000 | 24,000 | 5,000 | 239,000 |
| Apr 2026 | 237,000 | 42,000 | 14,000 | 294,000 |
Definition: electricity only, Great Britain. Voluntary switches only (where the customer chose to change, including after a contract ended). Excludes Supplier of Last Resort processes and trade sales. “Domestic” means household meter points (MPANs). Segment figures may not add exactly to the total because of rounding.
Official quarterly statistics (DESNZ table 2.7.1)
DESNZ publishes domestic transfer statistics every quarter as part of Quarterly Energy Prices, using data collected by Ofgem. The latest release (29 September 2026) adds April to June 2026: 789,000 electricity transfers and 609,000 gas transfers, up from 726,000 and 561,000 in January to March. The next update is due on 17 December 2026.
| Quarter | Electricity transfers | Gas transfers | Electricity customers | Gas customers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan to Mar 2024 | 543,000 | 426,000 | 29,613,000 | 24,373,000 |
| Apr to Jun 2024 | 585,000 | 454,000 | 29,670,000 | 24,400,000 |
| Jul to Sep 2024 | 770,000 | 602,000 | 29,721,000 | 24,428,000 |
| Oct to Dec 2024 | 783,000 | 611,000 | 29,776,000 | 24,458,000 |
| Jan to Mar 2025 | 783,000 | 602,000 | 29,818,000 | 24,480,000 |
| Apr to Jun 2025 | 685,000 | 574,000 | 30,361,000 | 24,546,000 |
| Jul to Sep 2025 | 821,000 | 636,000 | 30,406,000 | 24,564,000 |
| Oct to Dec 2025 | 857,000 | 662,000 | 30,410,000 | 24,585,000 |
| Jan to Mar 2026 | 726,000 | 561,000 | 30,453,000 | 24,598,000 |
| Apr to Jun 2026 | 789,000 | 609,000 | 30,560,000 | 24,613,000 |
Annual totals
| Year | Electricity transfers | Gas transfers |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 5,402,000 | 4,517,000 |
| 2019 | 5,946,000 | 4,822,000 |
| 2020 | 5,811,000 | 4,336,000 |
| 2021 | 4,502,000 | 3,082,000 |
| 2022 | 893,000 | 566,000 |
| 2023 | 1,867,000 | 1,195,000 |
| 2024 | 2,681,000 | 2,092,000 |
| 2025 | 3,146,000 | 2,474,000 |
Switching fell sharply during the 2022 energy crisis: 893,000 electricity transfers that year, against 5.946 million in 2019. It has recovered every year since, reaching 3.146 million in 2025.
Definition: number of meter points a supplier gains from another supplier after the customer chooses to switch. Excludes changing payment method with the same company, and moving to another offer within the same parent company. Excludes Northern Ireland.
Why the three sources don’t match
- Different data feeds. Energy UK and ElectraLink each compile electricity change-of-supplier data from industry systems, with their own processing. DESNZ publishes data that Ofgem collects from suppliers, transporters and connectors.
- Different definitions of “domestic”. Profile classes 1 and 2 (Energy UK), household MPANs (ElectraLink) or Ofgem’s filtered domestic meter points (DESNZ).
- Different exclusions and rounding. For example, Energy UK excludes switches between merged companies, ElectraLink counts voluntary switches only, and DESNZ rounds to the nearest thousand.
- Different fuels. Only DESNZ covers gas.
So compare months within one series, not across series. A rise in one series is a real signal; the gap between two series is mostly about definitions.
Use this data
You are welcome to quote or chart these figures. Please cite: EnergySwitch, UK energy switching statistics tracker, compiled from Energy UK (19 Oct 2026), ElectraLink (21 Oct 2026) and DESNZ QEP table 2.7.1 (29 Sep 2026), energyswitch.co.uk/guides/energy-switching-statistics/, accessed [date].
DESNZ figures contain public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Energy UK and ElectraLink figures are © their publishers and are quoted here with attribution; please cite and link to the original reports if you reuse them.
Download the data as CSV (UTF-8).
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FAQ
How many people switched energy supplier in September 2026?
It depends on the source. Energy UK counted 279,496 domestic electricity switches in September 2026 (317,617 including businesses). ElectraLink counted about 364,000 domestic electricity changes of supplier (393,000 in total). They use different data and definitions, so don’t compare them directly.
What is the official government figure for energy switching?
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) publishes quarterly domestic transfer statistics using Ofgem data in table 2.7.1. The latest, published 29 September 2026, shows 789,000 electricity and 609,000 gas transfers in April to June 2026. The next update is due on 17 December 2026.
Why do Energy UK and ElectraLink give different numbers?
They count different things. Energy UK defines domestic as electricity profile classes 1 and 2 and leaves out switches between merged companies. ElectraLink counts voluntary changes of supplier for household meter points and rounds to the nearest thousand. Each is consistent over time within its own series.
Do these figures include gas?
Energy UK and ElectraLink monthly figures are electricity only. The DESNZ quarterly table includes both electricity and gas.
Is switching higher than last year?
On Energy UK’s figures, total electricity switches in September 2026 were 10% higher than in September 2025. ElectraLink reports a 22% year-on-year rise in total changes of supplier. In the DESNZ series, 3.146 million electricity transfers were recorded in 2025, up from 2.681 million in 2024.
Does switching include moving to a new tariff with the same supplier?
No. All three series count changes of supplier. DESNZ says its figures exclude switching payment method or moving to another offer within the same parent company.
Sources
- Energy UK, Switching report, September 2026 (PDF) (published 19 October 2026; checked 23 October 2026)
- Energy UK, September 2026 electricity switching figures (19 October 2026)
- ElectraLink, Switching activity rebounds in September reaching a new 2026 high (21 October 2026; checked 23 October 2026)
- ElectraLink, Switching activity remains above 300k (August 2026) (6 October 2026; checked 23 October 2026)
- ElectraLink, Switching surges across June and July (19 August 2026; checked 23 October 2026)
- ElectraLink, May 2026 switching activity cools (18 June 2026; checked 23 October 2026)
- Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Quarterly domestic energy switching statistics (last updated 29 September 2026; checked 23 October 2026)
- Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, QEP table 2.7.1 (XLSX) (published 29 September 2026; next update 17 December 2026)
We report each source’s figures exactly as published and do not combine them. This page is general information, not financial advice. EnergySwitch is not Ofgem Confidence Code accredited.
