According to the UK gas and electricity market regulator Ofgem (Office of Gas and Electricity Markets), over one in five energy British consumers are with a small and medium size supplier and the number of switchers reached a record in 2017: 5.1 million electricity customers and 4.1 million gas customers switched suppliers, which is the highest number in the last decade.
Around a third of these consumers switched from one of the six largest suppliers (collectively referred to as the "Big Six" and corresponding to EDF Energy, RWE, Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), Uniper (ex E.ON), ScottishPower and Centrica). Consequently, the share of the Big Six fell to 79% for the electricity market and 78% for the gas market as of December 2017 (from 84% for both at the end of 2016). Small and medium size suppliers reached a decade-high record with market shares of 21% and 22% for electricity and gas, respectively (4.7% and 5% in 2013).
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