Lower Austria leads Austria in energy provider switches

Lower Austria recorded Austria’s highest rate of electricity and gas provider changes in the first half of 2026, according to ORF, citing market statistics from E-Control, the energy regulator. A total of 54,910 households and businesses in the province changed suppliers, including 41,329 electricity switches and 13,581 gas switches.

Lower Austria had the country’s highest switching rate for both electricity and gas. Electricity changes affected 4.8 percent of customers, compared with 3.3 percent each in Upper Austria and Styria. The gas switching rate was 5.4 percent in Lower Austria, followed by 5.1 percent in Styria and 4.7 percent in Upper Austria.

Record number of switches nationwide

Across Austria, 234,982 households and businesses changed energy providers in the first half of the year. E-Control said this was the highest figure recorded for the first half of any year, up from 210,761 switches during the same period in 2025.

A total of 187,256 customers switched electricity suppliers nationwide, including 152,459 households. In the gas market, 47,726 customers changed providers, including 42,387 households. The national switching rates were 2.9 percent for electricity and 4.1 percent for gas.

Switching rates were particularly low in Tyrol, where 0.8 percent of electricity customers and 1.7 percent of gas customers changed providers.

Uncertainty over future prices

E-Control board member Michael Strebl attributed the high number of switches partly to uncertainty over future energy prices. Geopolitical tensions had prompted many people to review their tariffs before the next heating season, he said.

Strebl said comparing offers could be worthwhile, but advised customers to look beyond short-term discounts and switching bonuses. Factors including the energy price, contract term, possible price guarantees and cancellation conditions were also important.

E-Control provides a tariff calculator that allows households to compare offers using their annual consumption, postcode and current contract conditions.

Advice on cooling during hot weather

The regulator also warned that increased use of air-conditioning units during hot periods could raise electricity demand in the summer months. It recommended keeping windows closed while air-conditioning is running, shading rooms from outside where possible and cooling only areas that are actually being used. Automatic controls could also help limit consumption.

Households with photovoltaic systems could use more of their generated electricity themselves by running energy-intensive appliances mainly during sunny hours. E-Control said shifting consumption to between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. could also reduce pressure on the electricity grid.