Contents
- 1 How much is the average energy bill in the Netherlands
- 2 Who has the cheapest energy in Europe
- 3 How much is household electricity in Netherlands
- 4 How do I get an energy label for my house in the Netherlands
How much is the average energy bill in the Netherlands
Gas and Electricity – Electricity is one of the first things you’ll need once you move to a new place. A cooking gas connection comes next. Different companies offer various plans suitable for your use. However, the average bill for your gas and electricity connection should be around 100 to 150 euros per month.
- Out of this, gas is costlier than electricity.
- But, of course, it depends on your use and the type of appliance.
- Most often, energy companies provide you with a yearly contract.
- You can choose to pay a certain fixed amount every month.
- At the end of the year, the company calculates your usage.
- Accordingly, you receive the difference if your use has been lower than the monthly amount.
Conversely, if there has been a high usage, they send you an invoice for the extra amount. If you use your gas for cooking several meals a day, your monthly bill can go slightly higher than the expected cost. If you’re not keen on cooking every day, you can save on the gas bill this way.
You can opt for an induction heater which runs on electricity. But again, the monthly cost will depend on your usage. Instead of incandescent bulbs, go for LED lights. They’re more energy and cost-efficient. Replace your old appliances with energy-efficient ones. Every appliance comes with an energy consumption sticker.
It tells how much energy that appliance will use.
Who has the cheapest energy in Europe
Electricity prices for household consumers – Highest electricity prices in Denmark and Belgium For household consumers in the EU (defined for the purpose of this article as medium-sized consumers with an annual consumption between 2 500 Kilowatt hours (KWh) and 5 000 KWh), electricity prices in the second half of 2022 were highest in Denmark (€0.5871 per KWh), Belgium (€0.4489 per KWh), Ireland (€0.4199 per KWh) and Czechia (€0.3844 per KWh) – see Figure 1. Figure 1: Electricity prices for household consumers, second half 2022 (€ per KWh) Source: Eurostat (nrg_pc_204) Figure 2 depicts the development of electricity prices for household consumers in the EU since the first half of 2008. The price without taxes, i.e., the energy, supply and network, increased slightly faster than the overall inflation rate ( HICP ) until the second half of 2013 when it was €0.1338 per KWh.
From 2014 to 2019, it remained relatively stable. In the second half of 2022, the highest ever price observed in the collection was recorded. The weight of the taxes increased by 23.8 percentage points (pp) from 45.4 % in the first half of 2008 to 69.2 % in the first half of 2019 but substantially decreased in the second half of 2022 (18.3 %).
This reflects the impact of the measures to alleviate EU household electricity costs. For the prices adjusted for inflation, the total price for household consumers, i.e., including all taxes, was €0.2840 per KWh in the second half of 2022 compared with €0.1604 per KWh in the first half of 2008. Figure 2: Development of electricity prices for household consumers, 2008-2022 (€ per KWh) Source: Eurostat (nrg_pc_204) Weight of taxes and levies differs greatly between EU Member States Figure 3 shows the proportion of taxes and levies in the overall electricity retail price for household consumers.
In the EU, the share of taxes in the second half of 2022 was the least in the Netherlands, where the values were in fact negative (-136.8 %). The Netherlands gave allowances with the most impact to household consumers. The relative share of taxes was highest in Denmark, making up 38 % of the total price.
The average share of taxes and levies at EU level was 15.5 %, a decrease of 8 % when compared with the first half of 2022, mostly driven by subsidies and allowances. The VAT in the EU represented 13 % of the total price. It ranged from 4.8 % in Malta to 25.8 % in Sweden. Figure 3: Share of taxes and levies paid by household consumers for electricity, second half 2022 (%) Source: Eurostat (nrg_pc_204) Largest increase in electricity prices in Czechia, Latvia and Denmark Figure 4 shows the percentage change in electricity prices for household consumers including all taxes and VAT from the second half of 2021 compared with the second half of 2022.
For comparison purposes the national currencies were used. For energy prices, comparing year on year instead of semester on semester is most meaningful to avoid seasonal effects. However, these seasonal effects are less prominent in the recent semesters. Year on year, the total prices increased in all except two EU Member States.
The largest increase was observed in Romania (112.0 %), followed by Czechia (96.5 %) and Denmark (70.3 %). Energy and supply costs mainly drove the increase. The Netherlands (-6.8 %) and Malta (-3.1 %) were the two EU countries to record the largest decreases. Figure 4: Change in electricity prices for household consumers compared with previous year’s same semester, second half 2022 (%) Source: Eurostat (nrg_pc_204) Electricity prices in purchasing power standard In Map 1, electricity prices for household consumers in the first half of 2022 are shown in purchasing power standard (PPS), grouping the available countries in six categories, with electricity price categories ranging from above 26.9 PPS per 100 KWh to below 15.3 PPS per 100 KWh. Map 1: Electricity prices for household consumers, first half 2022 (PPS per 100 KWh) Source: Eurostat (nrg_pc_204) Share of transmission and distribution costs for household electricity consumers Figure 5 presents the share of transmission and distribution costs for household electricity consumers.
Transmission and distribution costs are only reported once a year, at the end of the second semester. Distribution costs account for the largest share by far, when compared with the transmission costs. This is normal for all types of networks including the electricity system. Transmission network is used for transmitting bulk amounts of energy over long distances.
The distribution network is usually the part of the system where the consumers are connected. The distribution network is denser than the transmission network, therefore, its share in the costs is expected to be higher. Countries with lower population density require a more extensive transmission network to meet their needs. Figure 5: Share of transmission and distribution costs paid by household consumers for electricity, 2022 (%) Source: non-published Eurostat data
Does the Netherlands rank as having the best quality of life in the world?
The Netherlands Scores the World’s Highest Quality of Life According to, a large online database, the Netherlands scores the highest when it comes to Quality of Life with an index of 196.7, placing just above Denmark (194.7) and Switzerland (193.6). The Quality of Life Index is an estimation of the general quality of life in a country, taking into account various factors such as purchasing power, pollution, and house price to income ratio, among others. Of course, each of these is quantified with a collection of data which can then be compared to data from other countries, this is called an index. While Spain scores higher when it comes to climate likeability (climate index: 93.7> 86.8), the Netherlands scores higher on general safety (safety index: 72.7> 64.3). The Quality of Life Index is also made up of the cost of living index, health care index, and even traffic commute time index. The quality of life in the Netherlands attracts international talent to the country, and the Leiden region. A report from Decisio (2022) shows that the Leiden region is home to about 15.000 working internationals, with a 5,4% total increase compared to 2010. Hence, there is a clear demand for receiving this international talent, and ensuring they adapt as fast as possible to living and working in the Leiden region. Leiden International Centre ensures a ‘’soft-landing” and pleasant stay for those coming from abroad, which contributes to generating a favorable business climate – the professional and economic environment local business operate in. The Netherlands is known as an international tech hub with cities such as the Hague, Rotterdam, and Eindhoven. But smaller cities, like Leiden, still differentiate themselves for having robust, growing and highly-specialised markets. The Leiden region has a vibrant economy and wide range of industries, including life sciences, software development and space. Moreover, the region is further characterized by a strong entrepreneurial spirit given its high concentration of startups. But, what exactly draws companies to Leiden, and what makes them stay? Leiden has many prominent and respected institutions and organisations that contribute to innovation and development. A great example is Leiden Science Park, a cluster of life science companies that ranks in the top five most successful science parks in Europe. Then there is Leiden University, ranked as one of the best Dutch universities and placed in the top 100 universites worldwide. Both of these attract and create highly-skilled professionals and knowledge workers. Additionally, the city benefits from its geographical positioning with close proximity to Amsterdam and the Hague, but also RTH- and Schiphol Airport. : The Netherlands Scores the World’s Highest Quality of Life
How much is household electricity in Netherlands
Netherlands electricity prices
Netherlands electricity prices | Household, kWh | Business, kWh |
---|---|---|
Euro | 0.475 | 0.508 |
U.S. Dollar | 0.511 | 0.546 |
How do I get an energy label for my house in the Netherlands
The importance of an energy label –
- Find an energy adviser in the database (in Dutch) and make an appointment.
- The energy adviser will visit you to determine the characteristics of your home. The visit will take 1.5 to 2 hours.
- The energy adviser will carry out an energy performance calculation and register the energy label with the Dutch government.
- You will receive an energy label statement (PDF) from your energy adviser by email.
Good to know: not all organisations in the database offer services to consumers. You may have to approach several companies to have your energy label registered. If you are buying a home with a registered energy label B or higher, you will receive a discount on your mortgage interest rate from ABN AMRO.
- This allows you to benefit from a reduction in your monthly mortgage payment.
- You do not need to supply us with the energy label yourself.
- We automatically check the label of your home with the Dutch government.
- If you have a mortgage with ABN AMRO and a home with a registered energy label B or higher, your discount will automatically be included in the interest rate review.
You will benefit from this discount throughout the fixed-rate period. If you are planning to renovate your home to energy label B or higher, make sure you register the energy label within 24 months of the start of your fixed-rate period to take advantage of the sustainability discount.
- Would you like to make your home more energy efficient and improve your energy label, for example with solar panels or insulation? Check your potential savings and the subsidy options now with the Energy Saving Check,
- Financing sustainability improvements If you want to make your home more energy efficient, using your savings is often the most economical way.
It may also save you more than the amount you receive as interest on your savings. Alternatively, you could borrow with a mortgage or a personal loan. We’d be happy to go over the options with you. View the financing options
Is gas or electricity more expensive in Netherlands?
Electricity: € 0,40 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) Gas: € 1,45 per cubic meter (m3)
Is electricity expensive in the Netherlands?
Figures reached a record high in August 2022, at over 447 euros per megawatt-hour. After increasing continuously since 2021, electricity prices in Europe spiked following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Why is gas expensive in Netherlands?
Dutch households pay €630 more for gas, electricity than a year ago Gas and electricity are still significantly more expensive than a year ago, despite declining tariffs from suppliers and compensation from the government. On average, households pay 37 percent more, putting the annual accounts 630 euros higher.
Statistics Netherlands (CBS) calculated the difference based on the average prices in June. For the average household, these add up to a bill of 2,320 euros per year, compared to 1,691 euros in June 2022. After Russia invaded Ukraine, wholesale energy prices rose sharply. The panic in those markets peaked in the summer of 2022 after the Kremlin almost wholly cut off natural gas supplies to Europe.
The government wanted to ease the pain for households. The most far-reaching compensation measure the now caretaker Cabinet introduced was the energy price cap, which took effect at the beginning of this year. The energy bill is still higher than in June last year, partly due to higher taxes.
- This year, the government gave fewer energy tax discounts.
- The temporary reduction in the VAT rate was also reversed.
- In addition, people pay more for the transport of gas and electricity to their homes.
- People in the Netherlands significantly reduced their energy consumption because of the increased prices.
According to Statistics Netherlands, this took an average of 40 euros off the annual accounts for gas and light. If the statistics office looks purely at the prices, the average annual account would be 670 euros higher than based on the average prices in June 2022.
- While Netherlands residents paid more in June than a year earlier, the energy price cap did have an effect.
- In November and December, the average energy bill rose to 3,000 euros per year, much higher than it is now.
- CBS calculated the energy prices for the new figures differently than before.
- The statisticians not only looked at the rates in new contracts but also the prices in current contracts for a total of 6 million electricity connections and over 5 million gas hookups.
CBS was very critical of its earlier measurement method last year because it gave a distorted picture of the price increase. That also affected the inflation figures published by CBS. : Dutch households pay €630 more for gas, electricity than a year ago
Who supplies Netherlands gas?
From Groningen and abroad – Does all the gas come from Groningen? “No, most certainly not,” says Henk. “Extraction from the Groningen field has been wound down considerably over the past few years and will be zero by 2022. In 2019, 15.5 billion cubic metres came from Groningen, which constitutes a halving compared to 2015.
Besides the Groningen field, we have various other fields in the Netherlands, both onshore and offshore. Most of the gas that flows through our pipelines comes from abroad, from countries such as Norway, Russia, the UK and countries in the Middle East. Given that many households, businesses and industrial consumers in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France can only use Groningen-quality gas, we convert high-calorific gas from other sources into gas with the same quality as Groningen gas for them.
We do that by mixing in nitrogen. Over the past year, our nitrogen plants converted 28.9 billion cubic metres of gas into Groningen-quality gas.
How does gas and electricity work in the Netherlands?
Moving into a new home? There are a few things to connect before you have a ‘fully functional’ house, such as telephone, internet, water, gas and electricity. Not that exciting or easy to understand, so we have gathered some information here that might be useful to better comprehend how electricity and gas are supplied in the Netherlands in order to enable you to choose which supplier might suit you the best.
How do I register for gas and electricity in the Netherlands?
Connecting your energy supply in the Netherlands – Once you’ve chosen your supplier and energy tariff, it’s time to connect. Setting up an account with a provider is generally very straightforward. You can do this via telephone or the supplier’s website.
It’s likely you’ll need proof of identity (passport or ID card), proof of occupancy (rental contract or house deeds), and either a bank statement or proof of residence available from your municipality. You’ll also need a bank account to set up your preferred payment method. This will be easy to provide if you’ve been living in the Netherlands and have already opened a bank account.
However, if you don’t have an account, you can easily sign-up to a mobile bank like bunq, This will ensure you have a Dutch bank account in minutes. If you’re moving into a new property, it’s essential you make a note of the meter readings on your first day in your home.
- This will ensure you only pay for your usage and can even help you get cheaper bills.
- Your (new) provider will ask you to provide these readings within 15 working days of your move or transfer.
- Should you fail to supply them, the provider will make an estimate, which could be higher than needed.
- The provider will check whether they are realistic.
If they think there is a mistake, they will contact you to double-check and make a correction. You need to do this within 15 working days.
How does utilities work in Netherlands?
Payment of utilities – It is customary in the Netherlands to pay your utilities in advance with monthly payments. After a year, the utility company will check your actual usage and payments you’ve already made. Depending on the total amount paid, you will get a refund or have to pay extra.
- Most companies will offer you a price based on estimated use for your type of house and family composition.
- After a few months you can review your actual use online and adjust your monthly payment.
- When you do this be aware of using more gas in winter for heating.
- Since autumn of 2022 the prices of gas and electricity have risen enormously.
Although the government is financially supporting the citizens, you still need to be aware of high costs for utilities. More information about the benefits can be found here, You can check with your local municipality if you are eligible for the benefit and get information on how to apply for it.