ACM issues a repair decision about the maximum rates of standing charges for heat

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has issued a repair decision about the maximum rates of the standing charges for heat. With this repair decision, ACM has lowered the maximum rates of the standing charges for all households that are connected to a heat network. This reduction can be as much as 36 euros (including VAT) per year. These lower rates are in effect from 1 January 2024.

The reason for issuing the repair decision is an incorrect entry in the calculation file with which ACM had set the maximum rates of the standing charges. Heat suppliers can set their own rates, but they can never charge more than the maximum rates that ACM sets. Heat suppliers that charged standing charges this year that are higher than the adjusted maximum rates must retroactively lower their rates to the repaired maximum rates. This does not mean that all heat consumers get back 36 euros from their suppliers this year.

Heat suppliers can decide for themselves how they will incorporate the new rates in their bills, as long as heat users do not pay more this year than the new maximum rates. The new maximum rates must be processed in the amounts charged for 2024 (or a part thereof) in the final bills or the 2024 annual bills at the latest. Suppliers will inform their customers about this.

ACM is in contact with the heat sector regarding the implementation of the repair decision. Heat suppliers need time to implement the repair decision properly, and will inform their customers about it within a reasonable timeframe.

The repaired maximum rates of the standing charges, including VAT, are:

• Heating and hot tap-water: 582.82 euros per year (was 618.82 euros)
• Heating only: 291.42 per year (was 309.41 euros)
• Hot tap-water only: 291.42 euros per year (was 309.41 euros).

The way in which ACM must set the maximum rates has been laid down in the Dutch Heat Act. ACM sets the maximum rates of the standing charges based on the average costs of a household with a gas-fired combination boiler. This is called the natural-gas reference price or the no-more-than-otherwise principle (in Dutch: niet-meer-dan-anders principe). As a result of the incorrect entry in the calculation file, ACM estimated the average costs for maintaining a gas-fired combination boiler too high this year. ACM has taken extra measures to prevent this situation from happening in the future.