Dutch energy bills in 2027: €141 higher grid fees, the end of net metering and how to choose a contract

Newcomers to the Netherlands often get two surprises from their energy supplier: the size of the monthly payment in the first winter, and a year later the annual settlement, which can bring a refund of a few hundred euros or a bill of the same size.

On 14 September 2026 the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, ACM, published its forecast for 2027 grid fees, or netbeheerkosten. An average household will pay about €89 a year more for electricity transport and €52 more for gas transport. The same day, NL Times ran the headline that grid upgrades will push Dutch household energy bills up by €140 next year.

Grid fees are only one layer of the bill. Energy tax is changing, gas prices have been volatile, net metering for solar panels ends on 1 January 2027, and your contract type decides when you feel it. This guide starts from the NL Times article, compares eight outlets for internationals, and checks the numbers against ACM, the government (Rijksoverheid), the tax authority (Belastingdienst), Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and Milieu Centraal, the public energy information body.

Main sources: ACM's 2027 grid fee forecast (14 September 2026) and tariff proposals (7 October 2026); Belastingdienst and the corrected Belastingplan 2027 rate table; CBS's average energy bill (26 February 2026); Rijksoverheid on net metering and the Noodfonds Energie (29 September 2026).

1. What is happening: grid fees up about €141 in 2027

ACM approves the tariffs that regional grid operators (netbeheerders) charge each year. What it published in September is a forecast ahead of that approval, based on the operators' proposals.

According to ACM, an average household will pay about €89 more per year for electricity transport and €52 more for gas transport in 2027. Households and businesses on regional networks will pay around 20% more on average. ACM says transport tariffs make up roughly 30% of an average household's energy bill.

Why grid fees are rising

ACM gives two reasons. On the electricity side, the grid is overloaded in many places, and more offshore wind, new housing and electrification need new cables, transformer stations and high-voltage substations. Grid operators expect to invest about €235 billion in the electricity grid over the next 15 years.

On the gas side, the network still has to be maintained and partly renewed for safety, but households and businesses are using less gas. The same costs are spread over fewer users, so the cost per household goes up.

2027 is also the first year under a new ACM tariff method that lets operators recover investment costs faster, in exchange for stricter oversight. NL Times quotes ACM director Michiel Denkers saying this is why "we are seeing a spike this year".

Your grid operator matters

Grid fees differ by operator. In The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht the operator is usually Stedin. Amsterdam and much of Noord-Holland and Gelderland are served by Liander, and the south and east by Enexis.

The comparison site Keuze.nl worked out annual grid fees for electricity and gas combined, for a standard connection including metering and 21% VAT, from the proposals published by ACM. The chart shows the increase from 2026 (final) to 2027 (proposed).

On Keuze.nl's numbers, Stedin's combined fee rises from €751 to €914 a year, about 22%, so residents of The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht may see more than the national average. These are proposals.

The outlets do not quite agree

Every outlet worked from the same ACM forecast, but the figures were reported slightly differently. The table lists the differences we found.

NL Times writes "million" where ACM says "billion". The rest is rounding. Until ACM decides, treat the increase as roughly €140, give or take.

2. Anatomy of a Dutch energy bill

Dutch energy bills are confusing because one statement bundles charges of very different kinds. Before looking at 2027, it helps to see the whole structure.

Each year CBS estimates the bill of an average household by component. At January 2026 prices, a household using 928 m³ of gas and 1,747 kWh of electricity paid €1,993 a year (CBS, 26 February 2026).

The point to take away: the part you can influence by choosing a supplier is less than half the bill. The rest is tax and grid fees, identical whichever supplier you pick.

Layer 1: the energy itself (leveringskosten)

This is what you pay your supplier (energieleverancier): a price per kWh or m³ plus a fixed supply charge (vaste leveringskosten). It is the only layer that depends on your choice of supplier and contract.

CBS figures show that variable electricity contracts cost around €0.15 per kWh in 2026, while variable gas rose from €0.59 per m³ in January to €0.65 in August (CBS consumer energy prices, including VAT). The rise in gas follows the jump in wholesale prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

Layer 2: grid fees (netbeheerkosten)

This goes to the grid operator that owns the cables and pipes. For electricity it is a fixed amount based on connection size (typically 3×25A), not on use. Gas grid fees are a fixed amount per consumption band. This is the layer that jumps in 2027.

Layer 3: energy tax (energiebelasting)

A tax on every kWh and m³, collected by the supplier. VAT of 21% applies on top, so bill rates are 1.21 times the published rates.

Layer 4: the energy tax reduction

Every electricity connection to a home gets a fixed annual deduction from energy tax, sometimes called the energy tax credit or heffingskorting. Its official name is vermindering energiebelasting: €519.80 excluding VAT in 2026, about €629 including VAT.

According to NL Times, this reduction is one reason newcomers often find their first annual statement lower than expected.

3. Grid fees explained, and what changes next

Grid fees are the most misunderstood part of the bill, especially for people from countries where network costs are hidden in the unit price.

You cannot choose your grid operator

The Netherlands has six regional grid operators. You can pick any energy supplier, but the grid operator is fixed by your address, and your electricity and gas may even have different operators. Find yours by postcode at mijnaansluiting.nl.

These NOS figures, cited by DutchNews and DutchReview, cover electricity only. Figure 1 combines electricity and gas, which is why Stedin appears as both 17% and 22%.

Why using less does not help

DutchReview put it bluntly: the increase "has nothing to do with how much energy you actually burn". Because the electricity grid fee depends on connection size, a single person who barely uses electricity pays the same grid fee as a large family next door with the same connection.

Time-of-use grid fees from 2029 (proposed)

On 8 October 2026 ACM proposed changing household electricity grid fees so that they depend on how much you use and when (ACM). The target start is 1 January 2029 for small connections, including homes, and 1 January 2028 for large connections.

About a third of the fee would stay fixed. ACM expects around 60% of households to pay less: a small apartment €100 to €200 a year less, a detached house with a heat pump and EV €300 to €450 more. It is a draft under consultation, and grid operators have told ACM that 2029 is not feasible, so the start date is not settled.

4. Energy tax: gas up, electricity down in 2027

The 2027 energy tax rates appear in the Belastingplan 2027 tax bill presented on Budget Day (Prinsjesdag), 15 September 2026. The rate table was corrected after publication because the first version contained wrong figures, so some early articles quote outdated rates.

The 2026 rates are from the Belastingdienst, the 2027 rates from the finance ministry's corrected key tax table (Fiscale sleuteltabel 2027), both excluding VAT. The VAT-inclusive figures are our own calculation at 21%. The 2027 rates become final only once parliament passes the bill.

The trend is clear: the government keeps shifting tax from electricity to gas to encourage electric heating.

Small effect for a typical household

For the CBS average household (1,747 kWh, 928 m³), electricity tax falls by about €8 a year, gas tax rises by about €18, and the reduction shrinks by 27 cents. Net, that is about €10 a year more. Comparison site Overstappen.nl calculated about €8 more for a household using 2,500 kWh and 1,000 m³. Either way, the tax change is small next to the grid fee rise. All-electric homes see their tax go down.

The reduction is per connection, not per person

The reduction is the same for a single person and a family of five. That makes it relatively more valuable for small users: a low-consumption single household can end up with a net negative energy tax.

5. What it adds up to: a 2027 estimate

Putting the pieces together gives a rough estimate for an average household. Supply prices depend on your contract, so the last row is a scenario rather than a forecast.

The regulated part alone adds about €150 a year, or €12 to €13 a month. Supply prices come on top. CBS data show variable gas rising by about €0.075 per m³ between January and September 2026 (provisional), which would add around €70 a year for an average home if prices stay there.

On a fixed contract your supply price does not change until the term ends, but grid fees and tax still change on 1 January. A fixed contract does not freeze your whole bill.

District heating is a separate story

Some apartment buildings get heat and hot water from district heating (stadsverwarming) instead of gas. Under the Heat Act, ACM sets a maximum heat tariff each year, and that cap is linked to gas prices.

IamExpat reported on 21 September 2026 that more than 700,000 households are on district heating, and that heating costs could rise by about 20% in 2027 if gas prices stay high, according to an expert at Keuze.nl. ACM measures gas prices on 23 September, 23 October and 23 November before setting the cap. District heating customers cannot switch heat supplier, so the practical step is to review your advance payment once the cap is published.

6. Grid congestion and everyday life

Behind the higher fees is netcongestie, grid congestion. Electric cars, heat pumps, solar panels and new housing are arriving faster than grid capacity can be added.

According to DutchNews, about 15,000 businesses, homes, schools and other buildings are waiting for a grid connection, and grid operators estimate that congestion costs the economy €10 billion to €40 billion a year. Requests from households to upgrade their connection, for example from 3×25A to 3×35A, can take years in some regions.

For most renters this has little day-to-day effect. It matters when you want a bigger connection for a heat pump or an EV charger; if you are buying, ask the grid operator how long an upgrade takes at that address.

7. The end of net metering on 1 January 2027

The other big change is the end of salderingsregeling, net metering for solar panels. It affects anyone with panels on the roof, including tenants.

According to Rijksoverheid, the scheme stops on 1 January 2027. Until then, electricity you feed back to the grid during the day is offset against what you take from the grid at night. In effect, each kWh you export is worth as much as a kWh you buy, including tax.

From 2027 a kWh you use yourself is worth far more than a kWh you export. Self-consumption becomes the main way solar panels pay off.

Use your power while the sun shines

Milieu Centraal says that households that do nothing special use about 30% of their solar output themselves: the fridge, router, lighting and so on. Running the washing machine, dishwasher and dryer one at a time on sunny afternoons lifts that to about 35%.

For a household using 3,200 kWh a year, Milieu Centraal estimates €650 without panels, €600 with panels and no changes, and €575 when appliances run on solar. Its conclusion: panels still pay off after net metering ends.

Renting a home with panels

If your landlord owns the panels, exported power still runs through your connection and appears on your contract, as NL Times points out, so the loss of net metering shows up on the tenant's bill. If you pay the landlord a separate fee for panels, ask how it will be handled from 2027.

Watch the feed-in costs

Some suppliers already charge terugleverkosten, a fee for exported power. Milieu Centraal says most suppliers pay roughly 1.25 cents per kWh net for exports, and a few small suppliers effectively charge you for exporting. From 2027 suppliers may only pass on their actual processing costs, under ACM supervision. If you have panels, compare feed-in terms alongside the purchase price.

8. Fixed, variable or dynamic: choosing a contract

Dutch energy contracts come in three main types. According to DutchNews (4 March 2026), about half of households have a fixed contract, and some large suppliers paused new fixed deals after that spring's price spike.

Fixed: predictable, but check the exit

A fixed contract freezes the supply price for one, three or more years. Leaving early can trigger an opzegvergoeding, a termination fee. According to NL Times, it only applies if stated in the contract, is based on remaining volume times the gap between your rate and the current rate, and can be zero when prices have risen. Moving abroad does not automatically waive it, so Xpat.nl advises reading the fine print.

Variable: flexible, but the price moves

Variable contracts have no end date; the supplier can change the price with notice. There is no exit fee and notice is at most one month, which suits open-ended stays.

Dynamic: cheap at the right hour, expensive at the wrong one

Dynamic electricity prices follow the day-ahead wholesale market hour by hour and need a smart meter.

DutchNews reported on 24 June 2026 that a heatwave combined with little wind was expected to push the 9pm price to €1.20 per kWh, about four times a normal summer evening, while 2pm to 4pm cost about 20 cents. CBS data show the variable component of dynamic electricity contracts rising from about €0.15 per kWh in January 2026 to about €0.21 in September (provisional). If you cannot choose when you use power, dynamic is a gamble.

Model contract: same terms everywhere

Every supplier must offer a model contract (modelcontract) with ACM-set terms, in a variable and a fixed version since 2026. The variable one can be ended with one month's notice and no fee, so you do not have to compare small print.

Compare annual totals

Expatica advises against judging a contract by the monthly payment alone. Enter the same address and usage on a comparison site and compare estimated annual cost. Contracts signed online have a 14-day cooling-off period.

9. Advance payments and annual settlements for renters

The billing rhythm is what confuses newcomers most. It works differently depending on whether you hold the contract yourself or your landlord includes energy in your rent.

Your own contract: termijnbedrag and jaarafrekening

If you hold the contract, the monthly direct debit is the termijnbedrag, an advance based on expected use. Once a year the jaarafrekening recalculates the year on actual use: overpay and you get a refund, underpay and you get a top-up bill.

Because grid fees rise on 1 January 2027, an advance that is not adjusted can lead to a top-up. Most suppliers let you change the advance in their app or customer portal. In January, compare the new estimated annual cost with twelve times your advance.

Energy included in the rent: the voorschot

In furnished and short-term lets, energy is often included in the rent. What you pay monthly is then a voorschot, an advance, and the landlord settles the year.

According to the Huurcommissie, the rent tribunal, landlords must send the previous year's statement before 1 July, showing advances paid and actual costs. If it has not arrived, ask in writing; if you still have nothing after three weeks, you can ask the Huurcommissie to decide what you owe. This guidance is aimed at tenants in the social and mid-rent sectors; free-sector rules differ in places.

According to Rijksoverheid, tenants with an all-in rent can ask the landlord to split it into bare rent and service costs. For leases signed from 1 January 2027, landlords may charge at most eight types of service costs. The Hague International Centre advises tenants with inclusive rent to ask for a year-end statement, as you cannot know whether you overpaid without one.

Moving in and out

The Hague International Centre advises arranging a contract before you get the keys, as power is often cut a few days after the previous occupant leaves. Xpat.nl notes that contracts follow the person, not the address: they move with you within the country and must be cancelled when you leave.

10. Practical ways to save

Saving energy will not lower grid fees, but gas use and the variable part of electricity respond to habits. Milieu Centraal's figures give a sense of scale.

Milieu Centraal's heating tips assume a moderately insulated 1970 corner house with two occupants and gas at €1.37 per m³, its long-term average expectation for 2026–2040. Your savings depend on your actual contract price.

Heating habits dominate. Dutch homes use most of their gas for space heating, so the thermostat matters far more than switching off lights.

Heating

Most Dutch homes have a gas boiler (CV-ketel) feeding radiators; turn down radiator valves in unused rooms and keep doors closed. With underfloor heating or a heat pump, Milieu Centraal suggests 17–18°C at night and when away rather than 15°C.

Electricity

On a dynamic contract or with panels, run the washing machine, dishwasher and dryer at cheap or sunny hours. ACCESS notes that some meters have a cheaper night and weekend rate (23:00 to 07:00 on weekdays, and from Friday 23:00 to Monday 07:00), but this depends on your meter and contract, so check yours.

11. If you cannot pay: the Noodfonds Energie

For households whose energy costs are high relative to income, the Noodfonds Energie (energy emergency fund) opens again for winter 2026–2027. According to Rijksoverheid (29 September 2026), questions can be asked from 1 December 2026, and applications run from 4 January to 7 May 2027.

The fund pays half of the energy costs above the threshold; district heating households and students can apply too. Applying in January means the higher 2027 grid tariffs are counted, which can mean a slightly higher payment.

12. Scenarios: three fictional households

The households below are fictional. They show how the same changes play out differently depending on circumstances.

A family of four renting in The Hague

They hold their own contract, their grid operator is Stedin, and their one-year fixed contract ends in March 2027. Grid fees and tax still change on 1 January, so they check their advance in January. Before March they compare annual totals; if a move abroad is likely, a variable or model contract avoids exit fees.

A student in a furnished room in Utrecht

Energy is part of the service costs and no settlement statement has ever arrived. The student is entitled to one before 1 July and starts by asking the landlord in writing. Students on low incomes can also apply to the Noodfonds Energie.

A couple who bought a house with solar panels near Amsterdam

Ten panels covered almost all their electricity in 2026 thanks to net metering. From 2027 they shift laundry and dishwashing to sunny hours and compare suppliers on feed-in terms. Before buying an EV or heat pump, they check the 2029 time-of-use proposal and upgrade waiting times with Liander.

What all three have in common: check the advance in January and compare contracts on annual cost.

13. Mistakes to avoid

These are the moves most likely to cost money around the 2027 changes.

14. Steps and checklist

The steps below follow the calendar from now until summer 2027.

1. Now: look up your grid operator at mijnaansluiting.nl and check your contract type and end date
2. November–December: watch for ACM's final 2027 tariffs; district heating users wait for ACM's heat price cap
3. 31 December: if you have panels, photograph the meter on the last day of net metering
4. January: compare your new estimated annual cost with your advance and adjust it
5. January to May: if costs are unaffordable, apply to the Noodfonds Energie by 7 May
6. Before your contract ends: compare annual totals for the same usage, including feed-in terms if you have panels
7. 1 July: if energy is in your rent, check you received last year's statement

• I know my grid operator
• I know my contract type (fixed, variable, dynamic or model) and end date
• I have checked my advance and my last settlement
• I have checked my estimated 2027 annual cost
• With panels: I know my feed-in rate and any feed-in costs
• With inclusive rent: I know when the landlord settles and what is included
• The household agrees on thermostat settings (19°C home, 15°C away and at night)
• I know the Noodfonds application window (4 January to 7 May 2027)

15. Key takeaways

• Grid fees are expected to rise by about €141 (around 20%) for an average household in 2027, possibly more in Stedin's area. ACM decides the final tariffs in November or December 2026
• Grid fees are set by your grid operator, so switching supplier will not avoid them; switching only changes supply prices and terms
• Proposed energy tax changes raise gas tax slightly and cut electricity tax, adding about €10 a year for a typical household
• Net metering ends on 1 January 2027; panel owners gain most from using their own power during the day
• Compare contracts on annual cost, and pick fixed, variable, dynamic or model contracts to match your stay and habits
• Monthly payments are advances settled once a year; checking yours in January avoids a nasty surprise
• Households struggling with bills can apply to the Noodfonds Energie from 4 January to 7 May 2027

Sources

Primary sources

• Households pay on average €89 more for electricity transport… — ACM: 2027 grid fee forecast, 20% rise, €235 billion investment
• ACM publishes 2027 grid operator tariff proposals — ACM: proposals by operator and decision in November 2026
• Draft time-of-use grid tariffs for households — ACM: 2029 proposal and household examples
• Energiebelasting — Belastingdienst: 2026 energy tax rates and reduction
• Fiscale sleuteltabel 2027 (corrected) — Rijksfinanciën: proposed 2027 energy tax rates
• Energierekening gemiddeld iets lager — CBS: average bill of €1,993 by component
• Average consumer energy prices — CBS: monthly prices by contract type
• Salderingsregeling stopt in 2027 — Rijksoverheid: end of net metering, minimum feed-in rate
• Noodfonds Energie gaat open — Rijksoverheid: dates, eligibility and amounts
• Service costs and utilities in rented homes — Rijksoverheid: 1 July statement, eight cost types from 2027
• Servicekosten en nutsvoorzieningen — Huurcommissie: advances, annual statement and what to do if it is late
• Solar power when net metering stops — Milieu Centraal: self-consumption shares and cost examples
• Heating savings tips — Milieu Centraal: savings per measure
• Average energy use — Milieu Centraal: average household use of 2,430 kWh and 1,040 m³, a different basis from the CBS assumptions
• Mijnaansluiting.nl: find your grid operator by postcode

Media for internationals

• Power grid upgrades will increase Dutch households' energy bills by €140 next year — NL Times: the starting point (14 September 2026)
• Moving to the Netherlands? How to arrange electricity and gas — NL Times: contract types, termination fees, model contract, renters with panels
• Energy network charges to rise 19% next year — DutchNews: increases by operator, 15,000 waiting for connections
• Dynamic energy contract users warned of evening price spike — DutchNews: €1.20/kWh evening price
• Energy firms are holding fire on new fixed fee contracts — DutchNews: fixed contract pauses and contract shares
• Your Dutch energy bill jumps €141 next year — DutchReview: why usage does not matter for grid fees, outlook after 2027
• District heating bills could rise by 20% in 2027 — IamExpat: district heating outlook
• Dutch electricity grid fees could depend on time of use from 2029 — IamExpat: time-of-use proposal
• Electricity prices in the Netherlands for expats — Expatica: CBS prices, how to compare contracts
• Gas and electricity in the Netherlands — ACCESS: billing models, night rates, emergency number
• How to arrange your energy contract as an expat — Xpat.nl: moving and leaving the country
• Utilities, internet, taxes and other household bills — The Hague International Centre: contracts and inclusive rent in The Hague region

Comparison sites (figures used only where checked against primary data)

• Netbeheerkosten 2027 per netbeheerder — Keuze.nl: annual grid fees by operator, 2026 final and 2027 proposed
• Gas tax up, electricity tax down — Overstappen.nl: tax impact using the corrected rates

All sources were checked on 22 October 2026. The 2027 grid tariffs and tax rates are not yet final; check official sources for the latest figures before signing a contract or applying.

Original article

Power grid upgrades will increase Dutch households' energy bills by €140 next year — NL Times