Dutch lawmakers urge regulator to reject higher grid fees during peak hours
A majority in the Tweede Kamer is opposing a proposal by Netbeheer Nederland to raise electricity network charges during peak-demand periods, arguing the plan would unfairly penalize households that have invested in making their homes more sustainable, particularly by installing heat pumps, RTL reports.
Netbeheer Nederland, the umbrella organization representing Dutch electricity and gas grid operators, has asked the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) for approval to introduce variable network tariffs starting in 2029.
Under the proposal, two-thirds of network costs would depend on how much electricity a household uses and when it is consumed. Households using large amounts of electricity during peak periods would pay more, while those shifting consumption outside peak hours would pay less. Currently, most households pay a fixed annual network fee regardless of when electricity is used.
The proposal is intended to free up funds for investments in expanding and improving the electricity grid. However, lawmakers from D66, VVD, CDA, PRO and JA21 say it sends the wrong message to people who have already invested heavily in electrification.
Peak periods could last as long as seven consecutive hours, with electricity becoming more expensive especially between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. Rates would rise further during winter months, when heat pumps are typically operating at their highest levels. While heat pumps reduce gas consumption and lower carbon dioxide emissions, the proposal could leave their owners facing higher costs.
D66 lawmaker Felix Klos said the plan risks undermining climate goals. “With this, you are fighting the symptom, grid congestion, but hindering the cure, the reduction of CO2 emissions.”
He added: “People who buy a heat pump are basically giving Vladimir Putin the middle finger because they are going to use electricity instead of Russian gas. That is something you want to reward, not punish.”
CDA lawmaker Henk Jumelet also criticized the proposal. “An increase in the electricity price for households is a bad plan. It sends the wrong signal to people who have invested heavily in switching from gas use to electricity.”
While he said he is not opposed to variable tariffs in principle, noting that industry already uses such a system, he objected to imposing the highest charges when households have little choice but to consume electricity.
“Cooking or heating your home continues during peak hours. You have no choice. Then you are punishing people who have committed to electrification. So they need to solve this.”
JA21 lawmaker Daniël van den Berg called the proposal “catastrophic.” “This is yet another example of persuading people to switch to electricity and then raising the price afterwards. That happened with solar panels, and now with heat pumps. That is very problematic. You can also encourage people to use electricity outside peak hours. This is pulling the emergency brake, and that is wrong,” he said. VVD lawmaker Alisha Müller described the proposal as “a worrying development that we need to monitor closely.”
Sjoukje van Oosterhout of Progressief Nederland, formerly GroenLinks-PvdA, said the plan would discourage households from making sustainable investments.
“A green future begins with ordinary people taking the step: getting off gas, installing a heat pump, putting solar panels on the roof. We need to make it easier and more attractive for as many people as possible to make their homes more sustainable. That is what creates an affordable energy bill.”
“This proposal does exactly the opposite. People who are doing the right thing now risk ending up with the highest bill. That is unfair, and it discourages others. Making homes more sustainable should pay off, not be punished.”