The data, provided by Electralink, revealed that in May 50.3 per cent of switches were made to the independent energy companies – the first time this had been greater than 50 per cent.
A total of 122,599 consumers moved to one of the smaller suppliers in May, which is the third highest total on record.
This was down from the 135,794 switches made to smaller suppliers in April this year.
The total number of switches in the electricity market was also down, falling 16 per cent from 289,662 in April to 243,736 in May.
Angela Knight, chief executive of Energy UK, said: “The switching figures clearly show that switching is changing and customers are taking advantage of the wide range of deals available to them.
“The industry has simplified tariffs, made it easier to compare and new suppliers have entered the market offering more choice to customers.
“There are now twenty one different electricity suppliers in the market and it is encouraging to see customers shopping around to find the best deal for them.”