Price Cap drops, but the real challenge for energy companies is just beginning
On 1 July, Ofgem’s energy Price Cap will fall by 7%. On the surface, that sounds like a win for consumers, but in reality, energy costs remain significantly higher than pre-crisis levels. Since the autumn of 2021, and further disrupted by the war in Ukraine—global energy markets have been volatile, with consumers and suppliers alike riding out the storm.
In response, Ofgem shifted to quarterly Price Cap updates to reflect market changes faster. While this has prevented customers from overpaying when wholesale prices dip, it also means price hikes can hit sooner—particularly when demand rises after the summer lull.
Now, with the cap falling, we’re beginning to see suppliers reintroduce competitive fixed deals, hinting at a more dynamic, consumer-driven market. The result? A likely surge in customer switching, the likes of which we haven’t seen in years.
Is the industry ready for a switching surge?
Before the energy crisis, Ofgem had already been driving toward faster, more accurate switching. The Central Switching Service (CSS), introduced to slash switching times from 15 working days to just one or two, is a key part of this transformation.
Central to the CSS’s success is the quality of address data. That’s where Idox stepped in, providing address cleansing and matching tools that allocate UPRNs (Unique Property Reference Numbers) for pinpoint accuracy. While our address search APIs, provide fast, predictive searches against AddressBase Premium addresses, ensuring accuracy and identifying potential fraudulent uses.
Poor data = compensation costs, missed targets, lost customers
If the switching market picks up pace, energy companies can’t afford to lag behind. Bad address data could mean missed switching targets, compensation claims, and customer churn.
The solution? Centralised address management.
Many energy companies rely on data pulled in via APIs—but that’s only part of the puzzle. A robust, centralised Address Management System (AMS) ensures consistent, accurate data across all platforms, aligning directly with the CSS and enabling rapid, seamless customer onboarding.
Better data, smarter service
Idox’s AMS provides AddressBase Premium data, complete with UPRNs and USRNs, full life-cycle and historical address data, and geographical coordinates from one unified platform. It allows companies to add their own local data using British Standard formatting, cross-reference critical information like meter IDs and manage other geospatial datasets alongside ABP. It’s a single source of truth for smarter operations, faster switching, and improved service delivery.
Claire Russell, Product Specialist for Address Data Solutions at Idox comments,
Working with the CSS and utility providers has given us a clear view of what energy companies really need from address data — not just smoother switching, but sharper billing, smarter maintenance, and stronger fraud detection.
Claire Russell
Product Specialist for Address Data Solutions at Idox
“Working with the CSS and utility providers has given us a clear view of what energy companies really need from address data — not just smoother switching, but sharper billing, smarter maintenance, and stronger fraud detection. With the right address management system, you’re not just handling addresses — you’re connecting the dots: linking meter IDs with UPRNs, syncing datasets, layering in geospatial data, and integrating it all into your existing systems. It’s about turning location data into real operational power.”
Hosted, scalable, hassle-free
Our AMS is ready to go off the shelf—or can be tailored to your specific operational needs. As a hosted, fully managed service, we handle the infrastructure, updates, and maintenance—so your team can focus on what matters: delivering safe, efficient energy services.
Let’s talk
Want to future-proof your switching process? Speak with one of our experts to explore how our AMS can support your energy data strategy.
