The charge states of ions in dense plasmas fluctuate due to collisional
ionization and recombination. Here we show how, by modifying the ion
interaction potential, these fluctuations can mediate energy exchange between
the plasma electrons and ions. Moreover, we develop a theory for this novel
electron-ion energy transfer mechanism. Calculations using a random walk
approach for the fluctuations suggest that the energy exchange rate from charge
state fluctuations could be comparable to direct electron-ion collisions. This
mechanism is, however, predicted to exhibit a complex dependence on the
temperature and ionization state of the plasma, which could contribute to our
understanding of significant variation in experimental measurements of
equilibration times.