Netherlands Energy Guide 2026: The Complete Handbook for Expats (Fixed, Dynamic, Tenant Rights)

1. How the Dutch Energy Market Works

One of the first things newcomers discover is that the company sending your energy bill is not necessarily the company operating the energy network connected to your home.

The energy supplier

Your energieleverancier sells electricity and/or gas to you. Depending on the contract, the supplier sets the supply tariff and other contractual charges.

Examples of suppliers operating in the Dutch market include large companies as well as smaller and specialised providers.

The regional network operator

Your netbeheerder operates the electricity and/or gas network serving your address. Examples include Liander, Enexis and Stedin.

You cannot normally choose your regional network operator. It is determined by your address and network area.

Changing energy supplier therefore does not mean changing your netbeheerder.

Network transport charges are regulated by ACM. These charges are separate from the supplier’s own electricity and gas supply tariff.

2. Fixed, Variable or Dynamic?

The type of energy contract you have determines how the supply price can change and what happens if you want to leave before the end of the agreement.

With a fixed contract, the agreed supply tariff for electricity or gas does not normally change during the fixed term. However, other parts of your energy bill, such as taxes and network charges, can change.

With a variable contract, the supplier can change the supply tariff according to the contract conditions. ACM notes that this often happens at fixed moments, but the exact timing depends on the contract. The supplier must generally inform customers of a new tariff at least one month in advance.

Dynamic contracts work differently. Depending on the product, the electricity price can change every quarter, hour or day, while the gas tariff can change daily. The price is linked to wholesale-market prices, so costs can move up or down much more frequently.

ACM also requires suppliers to inform consumers about the risks of dynamic pricing and the difficulty of predicting the total cost in advance.

Since 1 January 2026, the Dutch Energiewet has been in force. ACM has established new model contracts under the new legal framework. Suppliers must offer the required model contracts, while they may also offer other contract types.

3. Switching, Notice Periods & Exit Fees

Switching supplier is possible, but the rules depend on your current contract.

When can an energy supplier charge an exit fee?

According to ACM ConsuWijzer, an early-exit fee can apply when all of the following are true:

• You have a fixed-term energy contract.
• The contract has not yet reached its end date.
• The contract provides for an exit fee and the applicable rules are met.

This can also apply if you end the contract because you are moving, emigrating or moving in with someone.

You generally do not pay an exit fee when the fixed term has already ended or when you have a variable- or dynamic-price contract.

How is the exit fee calculated?

Under the current system, the early-exit fee is linked to the financial loss the supplier is expected to suffer because the customer leaves early.

The calculation can depend on the remaining expected energy consumption and the difference between the tariff in your current contract and the supplier’s current comparable tariff for the remaining period.

ACM’s current guidance states that when you ask the supplier to calculate your exit fee, the calculation remains valid for two months. If you wait longer, you may need a new calculation.

How long is the notice period?

The notice period for an energy contract is no more than one month. The exact period is stated in the contract or terms.

What about the 14-day cooling-off period?

If you conclude an energy contract remotely, consumers generally have a 14-day cooling-off period. During that period, you can cancel the new energy contract without an exit fee.

The cooling-off period is different from the normal notice period and from an early-exit fee on an existing fixed-term contract.

4. Energy Taxes in 2026

Your energy bill also includes Dutch taxes. These are not set by your energy supplier and therefore cannot be removed by switching to another supplier.

Gas energy tax

In 2026, the energy tax on natural gas in the first and second consumption brackets is €0.73 per m³, including VAT.

Electricity energy tax

In 2026, the energy tax on electricity in the first and second brackets is €0.111 per kWh, including VAT.

Tax reduction on your electricity connection

Households receive a fixed annual energy-tax reduction linked to an electricity connection. In 2026, the amount is €629 including VAT.

This reduction is normally deducted directly from the energy bill. It is not a separate payment from the Dutch tax authorities.

The exact total amount you pay for energy therefore depends on more than your supplier’s kWh or m³ tariff. Consumption, taxes, fixed supplier charges and network charges all contribute to the final bill.

5. Network Charges and Netbeheerder

Network charges are one of the easiest parts of the Dutch energy bill to misunderstand.

Your regional network operator maintains and expands the network that delivers electricity and gas to your property. The transport tariffs are regulated by ACM.

What is changing in 2027?

On 14 September 2026, ACM published its first outlook for 2027 network transport tariffs.

For an average household, ACM expects:

• About €89 more per year for electricity transport.
• About €52 more per year for gas transport.
• About €141 more per year in total.

Across households and businesses connected to the regional electricity and gas networks, ACM expects average transport costs to increase by around 20%.

ACM says transport charges currently account for approximately 30% of the energy bill of an average household.

Why are network costs receiving more attention?

The Dutch electricity grid needs significant expansion and reinforcement. ACM says regional network operators need approximately €235 billion of investment over the next 15 years to provide sufficient grid capacity and address congestion.

ACM has introduced a new method for regulating network operators for the 2027–2031 period. The 2027 tariffs are the first to be established using this new method.

6. Winter Disconnection Protection

There are additional protections around energy disconnections during the winter period.

The relevant winter period runs from 1 October to 1 April.

ACM has previously intervened when energy companies attempted to stop or change fixed-price contracts during the winter period simply because customers did not accept an increase to an agreed fixed tariff.

An energy supplier cannot simply terminate or alter an agreed fixed-price contract because market prices have changed. The supplier must follow the contract and applicable legal rules.

However, winter protection does not mean that unpaid bills can be ignored. Separate procedures apply when customers have payment arrears or are at risk of disconnection.

The Dutch government states that suppliers must first send reminders and give customers opportunities to arrange payment before electricity or gas is disconnected because of unpaid bills.

If you receive a notice that your energy supply may be stopped, check the reason carefully and contact the supplier. You can also consult ACM ConsuWijzer for current consumer guidance.

7. Energy Costs for Renters

Renters can encounter energy costs in different ways, and the distinction matters.

Energy contract in your own name

If you have your own electricity or gas meter and your own energy contract, you normally pay the supplier directly.

In that situation, your energy bill is separate from your rent.

Utilities included in the rent

Some rental agreements include gas, electricity and/or other utilities. This may form part of an all-in rent or a separate advance payment arrangement.

Check your rental agreement carefully to see whether you are paying:

• an all-in price;
• a separate advance (voorschot); or
• your own energy supplier directly.

Annual settlement

Where utilities and service costs are settled through the landlord, tenants should receive an annual statement showing what was paid in advance and what the actual costs were.

The Huurcommissie states that the landlord must send the annual service-cost settlement before 1 July for the previous year.

If the actual costs were lower than the amount paid in advance, the tenant may be entitled to money back. If the actual costs were higher, there may be an additional payment.

The exact rules depend on the type of rental agreement and the costs involved.

Can a landlord make a profit on service costs?

The Dutch government states that landlords may only charge the actual costs permitted as service costs and may not make a profit on those service costs.

If you believe a service-cost settlement is incorrect, first ask the landlord for clarification and supporting information. Depending on your rental situation, you may also be able to take the dispute to the Huurcommissie.

8. What to Do If You Disagree With a Bill

Whether the problem is with an energy supplier or with utility costs charged through your landlord, start by collecting documents before making a complaint.

Step 1: Check the contract

Look at the price, contract type, end date, notice period and any additional charges.

Step 2: Check the meter information

Compare the meter reading on the bill with your own records. If you have a smart meter, review the available consumption information.

Step 3: Ask for an explanation in writing

If you believe the amount is wrong, contact the supplier or landlord and explain exactly which charge or meter reading you dispute.

Step 4: Keep evidence

Save invoices, screenshots, meter readings, contract documents, emails and letters. These can be important if the dispute continues.

Step 5: Escalate if necessary

For energy-supplier disputes, you can use the supplier’s complaints procedure and consult ACM ConsuWijzer. Depending on the supplier and dispute, a recognised dispute-resolution body such as the Geschillencommissie may also be relevant.

For disputes concerning service costs or certain utility charges through a landlord, the Huurcommissie may be able to assess the dispute, depending on the rental situation and legal jurisdiction.

9. District Heating (Stadsverwarming)

Not every home in the Netherlands uses an individual gas boiler. Some homes are connected to a district-heating network, known in Dutch as stadsverwarming or warmtenet.

With district heating, you generally cannot switch to another heat supplier in the same way that you can switch electricity or gas suppliers.

Maximum heat tariffs in 2026

ACM sets maximum annual tariffs for heat suppliers.

For 2026, the maximum heat price is €40.97 per GJ.

There are also maximum fixed charges. For a customer receiving heating and hot tap water, ACM’s 2026 maximum fixed tariff is €615.66 per year. Other situations have different maximum amounts.

Although consumers generally cannot switch heat suppliers, that does not mean a heat company can charge unlimited prices. ACM regulates the maximum tariffs and monitors the sector.

10. Solar Panels and the 2027 Change

If you have solar panels, your energy contract deserves extra attention before 2027.

The Dutch salderingsregeling will end on 1 January 2027.

Until the end of 2026, households and small businesses can use the net-metering system to offset electricity supplied to the grid against electricity consumed.

From 2027, that offsetting will no longer be possible.

However, solar-panel owners can continue to feed electricity into the grid and receive compensation from their supplier.

Under the Dutch government’s current rules, until 2030 the compensation for electricity fed into the grid must be at least 50% of the supplier’s basic electricity tariff, excluding taxes.

Suppliers may also charge terugleverkosten, depending on the contract.

This means solar-panel owners should compare more than the electricity purchase price. Check the feed-in compensation and any applicable feed-in charges before signing or switching contracts.

11. Welcome Bonuses and Switching

Energy suppliers sometimes offer a welkomstpremie or welcome gift to attract new customers.

However, a welcome bonus should not be treated as free money without checking the contract conditions.

ACM ConsuWijzer states that if you cancel your energy contract within the first six months, your supplier may require you to repay a welcome premium, subject to the applicable rules. The amount you repay cannot be higher than the premium you received.

After the first six months, the supplier generally cannot demand repayment of the welcome premium on that basis.

This is another reason to look at the entire contract rather than choosing an offer solely because it has a large advertised bonus.

12. Your 2026 Energy Contract Checklist

Before signing a new contract or switching supplier, check the following:

1. What type of contract do I have?
   Fixed, variable or dynamic?
2. When does it end?
   Find the exact einddatum.
3. Could I owe an exit fee?
   Ask the supplier for the current calculation if you want to leave a fixed contract early.
4. What is the complete cost?
   Check electricity, gas, fixed supplier charges, taxes and other contractual charges.
5. Do I have solar panels?
   Check terugleververgoeding and terugleverkosten.
6. Who is my netbeheerder?
   Remember that changing supplier does not change your regional network operator.
7. Am I renting?
   Check whether energy is in your own name, included in the rent or charged through a monthly advance.
8. Have I checked the contract terms?
   Do not rely only on the headline price displayed on a comparison website.