NMa fines energy company NRE Netwerk B.V.

The Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa) has imposed a fine of EUR 180.000 on NRE Netwerk B.V. It established that this company infringed the Electricity Act 1998 in the period from 1 January to late September 2006 by repeatedly levying one-off connection charges in excess of the legally permitted maximum level.

As a network operator, NRE is under the obligation to provide access to the network to all applicants. This obligation is laid down in the Electricity Act 1998. The energy regulator DTe, which is part of the NMa, ensures that network operators, who are regional monopolists by nature, act efficiently and provide market services against reasonable tariffs determined by the NMa. It was apparent from a DTe probe that NRE repeatedly charged a tariff of EUR 589 instead of EUR 460.62 for a specific category of connections. NRE has in the meantime adjusted its tariffs and refunded excess payments.