MORE than 20pc of Irish electricity customers switched supplier in 2009 which was higher than any other country in Europe.
The VaasaETT Utility Customer Switching Research Project, which surveyed 33 fully deregulated markets, found that 2pc more Irish customers changed supplier compared to British customers.
The average across all markets covered by the study was 6.12pc, the survey said. It was the first time that a country other than Britain topped the European league for utility switching.
The entry of Bord Gais and Airtricity into the household electricity market helped to push the Republic up the rankings.
Between February 2009 and February 2010, Bord Gais Energy managed to take 21pc of all residential electricity customers in the Republic.