Electricity tariffs in the Netherlands: dynamic contracts and solar exports
Information checked:
In this guide
A cheap interval on the Dutch electricity chart is useful only if your contract lets you benefit from it. A household charging a car during the afternoon has a different bill from one using most electricity in the evening, even with the same annual consumption. Solar panels add another question: what do you receive, or pay, when electricity flows back to the grid?
Start with the contract, not the lowest chart bar
Fixed, variable and dynamic describe different ways of setting the supply price. Fixed protects that price for the agreed period, not every item on the bill. Variable changes under the contract’s adjustment rules. Dynamic follows market prices much more closely; its interval depends on the agreement. ACM ConsuWijzer: contract types and supply costs.
With interval billing, calculate your energy cost by multiplying consumption in each interval by its applicable price, then adding the results. The simple average on our chart is not your consumption-weighted average. An illustrative 40 kWh at €0.04 and 160 kWh at €0.12 costs €20.80, or 10.40 ct/kWh. The unweighted average of those two prices is only 8 ct/kWh.
A dynamic contract may suit flexible consumption, but it does not guarantee savings. Compare an expensive-month scenario too, especially if heating or charging cannot wait.
Confirm that the meter and billing interval match
Ask whether the contract settles electricity by quarter-hour or hour, whether your smart meter can supply those readings, and how missing data is handled. ACM’s offer guidance distinguishes dynamic intervals and requires clear information about the proposed contract. ACM ConsuWijzer: understanding an offer.
Do not assume a meter’s display, an app’s graph and the invoice use identical intervals. Use Netherlands local time, including the clock change, when setting appliance timers. A price for 14:00–14:15 is not a promise for the whole following hour.
Ask for one sample calculation showing the market reference, procurement surcharge, taxes and final import price. If a supplier page says “hourly” but the proposed terms say “quarter-hourly”, resolve that before signing rather than guessing from our chart.
Supplier examples and the questions worth asking
Checked on 12 September 2026. These examples are not a ranking or an exhaustive list. Prices and eligibility can change; obtain a personal quotation and keep its dated terms.
| Supplier or offer | Published approach | What to compare |
|---|---|---|
| Tibber | Its current electricity offer uses quarter-hour prices, a monthly subscription and separate procurement and export fees. | Check the fee applicable to your contract date, export treatment and compatible smart controls. Tibber |
| ANWB Energie | Its explanation currently describes hourly electricity prices, procurement costs and fixed monthly supply costs. | Confirm the billing interval in your quotation and include the subscription, not just the spot price. ANWB Energie |
| Eneco Dynamisch | Its customer guidance describes an hourly electricity price and a daily gas price. | Compare electricity separately from gas, including fixed costs, export terms and any bundled services. Eneco |
The monthly fee matters most at low consumption. In an invented comparison, offer A charges €7/month plus €0.02/kWh and offer B €10/month plus €0.01/kWh, on identical market prices and tax treatment. Their supplier charges are equal at 300 kWh/month. Below that, A is cheaper; above it, B is cheaper. This says nothing about their other conditions or solar-export costs.
Worked example: why wholesale is not the bill
Assume 200 kWh for a month, a consumption-weighted wholesale price of €0.060/kWh and the invented charges below. Every input is illustrative, not a supplier quotation or a regulated tariff. This example excludes solar exports and shows a subtotal before taxes and the energy-tax reduction.
| Component | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesale energy | 200 × €0.060/kWh | €12.00 |
| Procurement surcharge | 200 × €0.020/kWh | €4.00 |
| Fixed supplier charge | Monthly assumption | €7.00 |
| Network costs | Monthly assumption | €40.00 |
| Subtotal before taxes and tax reduction | Sum of the listed components | €63.00 |
That subtotal is 31.50 ct/kWh, although the market input was 6 ct/kWh. It is not a final bill. Dutch bills also include energy tax and VAT; the energy-tax reduction is a separate fixed credit for a qualifying electricity connection, not a supplier discount. VAT is 21%, including on energy tax. Do not mix VAT-inclusive quoted rates with a second VAT addition. Rijksoverheid: bill components and tax reduction.
For timing decisions, use the costs that actually change. Moving 40 kWh from a 15 ct/kWh wholesale interval to a 5 ct/kWh interval changes the wholesale component by €4.00 before VAT, with other per-kWh terms assumed equal. The fixed monthly charges remain.
Solar panels: compare imports and exports separately
Export compensation and export charges are not the same thing. Ask for both, including how the supplier handles different prices during the year. Do not infer the net value of exported electricity from the import tariff or from a “no export costs” headline. ACM ConsuWijzer: generating and exporting electricity.
Salderen ends on 1 January 2027. Until then, the net-metering rules still apply; afterwards, exported electricity receives compensation rather than being offset against imports. Compare a contract crossing that date in two periods. Directly using your own solar generation remains distinct from exporting it and buying electricity later. Rijksoverheid: the end of net metering.
Tibber’s terms describe separate import and export calculations and fallback pricing when market data is unavailable. This is why a spreadsheet using only annual net consumption can miss important contract details. Tibber: contract conditions.
A negative wholesale price does not by itself mean free imported electricity: surcharges and taxes may keep the marginal price positive. For exports, read the signed compensation formula and applicable protections. Do not turn off solar production solely because our wholesale chart changes colour.
A practical checklist before switching
- Download recent bills and interval readings; record imported and exported kWh separately.
- Ask for the annual total at your own consumption, not only the suggested monthly advance payment.
- Compare the procurement surcharge, monthly fee, solar-export treatment and any automation subscription.
- Check whether a quoted price includes VAT and energy tax; keep network costs and the fixed tax credit visible.
- Confirm billing frequency, missing-reading corrections and the start date of any new conditions.
- If leaving a fixed contract early, request an exit-cost calculation before accepting another offer.
ACM states that variable and dynamic contracts do not carry an early-termination fee, while ending a fixed contract early can. Notice periods and bonus conditions still matter. Let the new supplier arrange the normal transfer; do not request disconnection. ACM ConsuWijzer: termination and notice.
Use price information without organising your life around it
Start with one flexible load, such as charging when the car is already parked at home. Compare the available hours with your actual deadline. Historical hourly analysis helps identify patterns, but cannot promise the cheapest hour tomorrow.
Avoid buying a battery or changing essential heating solely on the basis of a few low-price days. Equipment cost, losses, comfort and export conditions can outweigh the apparent spread. This guide helps you ask better questions; it is not a personal supplier recommendation or a calculation of your final bill.