**MEDIA RELEASE*** OVER 3500 HOUSEHOLDS JOIN THE BIG ENERGY SWITCH IN FIRST WEEK OF CAMPAIGN

3,500 consumers have joined the Big Energy Switch in the first week of the campaign, a huge show of community support for the nation-wide people power campaign.

The Big Energy Switch is looking to recruit twenty thousand consumers to help unlock group discounted electrictiy ad gas in Ireland.

The campaign will run for 3 more weeks, with the collective power of the One Big Switch consumer movement growing every time another consumer joins.

To put the energy buying power of 3,500 consumers in context:

• Just the registrants from the first week of the campaign have a cumulative energy purchasing power of nearly €7.5 million annually.
   
• Over 500 Irish households are joining the campaign every day

This huge response should come as no surprise. Especially considering the fact retail energy price cuts have not been in line with the price cuts of wholesale energy prices which are down 29pc since last January, currently sitting at a 6 year low.

David Liston, Senior Campaigner at One Big Switch has responded to the huge community response; ”There’s no doubt about it. There’s a clear willingness from Irish consumers to take the power into their own hands and work together to fight back against the current energy affordability crisis.  

“Too often consumers have sat back and taken high energy prices on the chin with the idea there’s very little they could do about it. Now they can do something. For the chance to unlock group discounted energy, I would encourage all Irish households to join together in the Big Energy Switch at onebigswitch.ie today.”

One Big Switch ran the Big Energy Switch in 2014 and 2015 where tens of thousands of consumers took part in both campaigns. Both campaigns unlocked group discounted electricity and for thousands for Irish households and sparked energy price wars.

Joining the Big Energy Switch is entirely cost and obligation free. Consumers who wish to sign up can visit www.onebigswitch.ie Registration closes at midnight 8 April 2016. Case Study families who have joined the campaign can be provided.