See more of Dutch Brief in your Google search results
Hundreds of thousands of households and small businesses in the Netherlands are overpaying for electricity connections that exceed their actual needs. The regulator advises that many could save significantly by downsizing, but recommends careful consideration before making changes.
What the regulator found
Research by the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) shows that over 300,000 households and small businesses have electricity connections larger than necessary. The annual cost difference between standard and heavier connections can reach thousands of euros.
A standard connection, up to 3x25 amps, will cost about 360 euros per year in 2026 and suits users consuming up to 15,000 kilowatt-hours annually. The ACM identified approximately 266,000 connections above 3x25 amps with lower usage, including 28,000 using under 5,000 kWh, and an additional 47,000 larger connections (above 3x35 amps) with modest consumption.
Potential savings are substantial. Downsizing to a standard 3x25-amp connection could save at least 1,400 euros per year, while switching to 3x35 amps could save nearly 1,000 euros annually. The heaviest connections can cost up to 4,500 euros each year.
SPONSORED
You’re overpaying your accountant. And they still don’t call you back.
Neno gives you a dedicated bookkeeper, automated admin, real-time financial insights and a free business bank account. Everything your business needs, in one place.
No chasing. No surprises. No unnecessary costs.
When you actually need a heavy connection
According to the ACM, a heavy connection is only necessary if you regularly operate several high-consumption appliances simultaneously, such as a sauna, swimming pool, or heated garden pond. Many with oversized connections can reduce costs by downsizing or by using electricity more efficiently, spreading heavy usage throughout the day to avoid peaks.
You can check what connection you have on the annual statement from your energy supplier. Reducing a connection costs a one-off fee of around 300 euros. But because the electricity grid is so congested, anyone who later wants to upgrade again, for instance after installing a heat pump or an electric-car charger, could end up on a waiting list. So the advice is to think ahead: if heavier use is likely in the near future, keeping the existing connection may be the wiser choice.
Not a fix for the full grid
While downsizing may seem like a solution to the Netherlands’ grid congestion, the ACM cautions otherwise. It does not expect significant capacity to be freed, as network operators base grid availability on actual consumption profiles rather than connection size.
This point prompted a strong response from energy-transition professor Jan Rotmans, who said on Nieuwsuur that connection charges are already too high, that they “could be half as much,” and that consumers are effectively paying for grid expansion. With network charges set to rise again next year, the debate over how grid costs are shared is likely to continue.t