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Energy consumers in the Netherlands have many options

On the Dutch energy market, consumers have a lot of options. For example, they can go for lower prices, for green power (generated in the Netherlands or abroad) or for the highest feed-in tariffs for their solar panels. Never before did so many consumers switch energy suppliers, despite the decreasing energy prices. In 2015, 15.1 percent of all consumers switched suppliers. That percentage is far better than the switching rate in Europe as a whole, which was 6 percent. Switchers are able to save up to EUR 375 on their energy bills. This is one of the conclusions of the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) in its 2015 Energy Monitor.

Anita Vegter, Member of the Board of ACM, explains: “By comparing the products of various suppliers by way of ‘personalized offers,’ consumers are able to save more money than they think. And they are able to make a conscious choice for green power. ACM believes it is important that suppliers provide clear information to their customers. By switching, consumers force businesses to innovate and to offer competitive prices. As a result, consumers will benefit.”

Large price differences in green-power products


The market share of green power has been relatively stable, which was 64 percent in 2015. Green-power products have become more and more varied: both in terms of contract duration as well as in terms of source of generation. One of the effects is that price differences increase, particularly with green power generated by Dutch wind turbines. The difference between the most expensive and the cheapest product based on Dutch wind is EUR 133 per year.

Facts and figures about the energy sector


Consumers are able to save more on their energy bills than they think. The energy bill of the average Dutch household has gone down for several years now. On January 1, 2016, it was EUR 1,661. Last year, it was EUR 1,739, and in 2014, it was EUR 1.782. Consumers who have never switched at all are able to save the most. Since the liberalization of the energy market in 2004, almost half of all Dutch consumers (49 percent) have switched energy suppliers at least once. The group of consumers that have switched once or more is getting larger. The level of concentration in the energy market went down in 2015, but is still high. Over 50 energy suppliers are currently active in the Netherlands.