Campaign wants 20,000 to switch mortgages

A massive campaign to get 20,000 variable-rate mortgage holders to switch to another provider is to be launched.

The One Big Switch group aims to do a deal with a bank for lower mortgage rates in return for delivering thousands of switchers to it.

The group has already negotiated deals with electricity providers and health insurers for those who sign up with it. It has a database of some 80,000 registered consumers.

There are around 370,000 people on variable rates in this country, with customers paying some of the highest interest rates in the eurozone.

It is estimated that switching to the best-value mortgage could see a family with a €250,000 home-loan saving around €1,500 a year.

“If 20,000 people are prepared to switch together it will unlock the buying power for a group discount,” Lachlan Harris of the One Big Switch campaign said.

Once the group has thousands of mortgage holders who register for the mortgage campaign, One Big Switch will then negotiate with the banks for an exclusive group discount.