The Bundesnetzagentur is publishing on SMARD the first set of monthly figures on supplier switching and disconnections in the electricity and gas sectors. This closes a gap in the data available on SMARD because up until now only annual figures have been published. Figures are available for all twelve months in 2024 and for every month in 2025 up to and including September. The monthly figures are updated once a quarter.

Comparison between the first three quarters of 2024 and 2025

In the electricity sector, supplier switches decreased by about 8% and disconnections rose by about 5%. In the gas sector, switches fell by just over 12% and the number of disconnections increased slightly by about 3%. Overall, customers are becoming much less willing to switch supplier, while the number of disconnections in both sectors is increasing moderately. The fact should be taken into account that the number of supplier switches in 2024 was at a record high.

Typical seasonal patterns for electricity and gas

• Supplier switching: January has the largest number of supplier switches. By contrast, switches due to customers moving home are spread evenly over the whole year.
• Disconnections: December has the lowest figures, while the summer months of July to September have the highest.

Why these figures are important

The new monthly figures for the first time enable consumer trends, market developments and social risks within the course of a year to be identified. The figures, especially those for disconnections, give a clearer picture of possible burdens on private households. They also enable a much better assessment of trends in switching activity.

Future plans: regional breakdowns, increased transparency

The Bundesnetzagentur plans to publish figures for each individual network area, which will show any regional differences in, for example, the frequency of disconnections or supplier switches. This will increase transparency in the energy market and create a sound basis for analyses and decisions.

The new collection of monthly data therefore for the first time provides the public with detailed and regularly updated figures on key developments in switching and disconnections – an important step for improved transparency and monitoring of developments in the energy market.