Czechs switched energy suppliers 619,000 times last year, down a fifth year on year

Czechs made 619,657 changes of electricity and gas supplier last year. That was 19 percent fewer than in 2022, a year marked particularly by a sharp rise in energy prices on the market. Consumers made more switches among electricity suppliers. The number of supplier switches therefore moved closer last year to pre-crisis levels. The figures come from data from the Electricity Market Operator (OTE).

Consumers switched electricity suppliers 448,351 times last year, about 14 percent fewer year on year. For gas, consumers made 171,306 supplier switches, around 30 percent fewer year on year.

According to the statistics, consumers made the most switches at the very start of last year: the operator recorded almost a quarter of all switches for the year in January. In spring, by contrast, the number of electricity and gas supplier switches fell to a low, mainly because there was little difference between suppliers’ offers, with many still offering prices at the level of the government price caps. From summer onwards, the number of supplier switches gradually began to rise again as suppliers expanded their offers.

Government price caps on electricity and gas were in force in Czechia last year. All consumers therefore paid a maximum of 6000 crowns per megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity, including VAT, and 3000 crowns per MWh of gas. Distribution charges were added to these amounts. The government caps applied regardless of whether customers had contracts with their suppliers at prices above the cap. The so-called price caps expired at the end of last year. Nevertheless, most large suppliers have kept prices this year at the same level as last year for customers whose energy prices had previously been fixed above the government caps.

The electricity market in the Czech Republic has been fully liberalised since 2006, and the gas market since 2007. Since then, customers have been able to choose their own energy supplier.