The Essential Services Commission of South Australia (ESCOSA) today released its first comprehensive "check up" on the SA electricity market since it was deregulated.

The report, Monitoring the Development of Electricity Retail Competition in South Australia, shows only 6,447 small electricity customers have transferred from standing contracts to market contracts, representing about 0.9 per cent of the 750,000 customers in that market, to 31 August this year.

Also noted was of the 11 electricity retailers licensed to operate in SA, only three are selling electricity to households.

The month of August was the busiest month for transfers, with 1,416 domestic users and other small electricity consumers changing retailers.

Acting ESCOSA Chairperson, Dr Pat Walsh, said today he was not surprised by the figures.

"The State's deregulated retail electricity market is at a very early stage.

"It will take time for the market to develop to a point where significant volumes of customers are taking out electricity contracts, either with AGL or another retailer.

"Interstate trends indicate small electricity customers do not change their habits lightly - although figures for the last three months of the report period were encouraging.

"From June 1 to August 31, more than 3,600 electricity customers opted to move to market contracts.

"This represents about 56 per cent of all customers who have taken out market contracts since the deregulated power market came in to force on January 1.

"We would expect that trend to continue as competition between the electricity retailers intensifies, and more customers are approached to change from their existing standing contracts."

Dr Walsh said the next Statistical Report was due to be released in November.

All ESCOSA reports are available on its website at www.escosa.sa.gov.au