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3 min Reading time From 2028 onwards there's going to be a change in the network costs for consumers. Network costs are the costs that we all pay for using the electricity grid. You pay them through your electricity bill, but they don't go to your energy supplier; the network costs are immediately transferred to the grid operator of the region where you live (for example Liander, Enexis, Stedin, etc.)
The network costs are determined by the ACM, the Authority for Consumers and Markets, based on all kinds of consultations with stakeholders. Until now, the network costs consisted of one fixed amount per year - but that's about to change!
To use our electricity grid more efficiently, it's important that consumers adjust their behavior a little. For example, many more electric cars can use the existing grid, provided those cars are not all charged at the same time. It would be better, for instance, if people don't charge their cars during the busy evening hours, but preferably later at night, when no-one's cooking, washing, watching television, etc.
To get people to change their behavior, financial incentives are (unfortunately) always the most effective method. That's why the new plan states that network costs will be made time-dependent: during busy hours it becomes more expensive, and during quiet hours cheaper to use the grid.
In the picture above we see what the future rates will approximately look like. There will be different price levels, and these will be applied to different time blocks. The most expensive hours are those during the morning rush and especially in the evening from around 4 p.m. (source: Netbeheer Nederland)
The new network costs make it even more attractive to invest in home batteries and in smart control of consumers such as charging stations. Even for people who don't have a dynamic energy contract, prices will vary throughout the day; for those who already use dynamic rates, the price differences will become even larger.
With this new development on top of the already existing changes, such as the abolition of the net metering scheme and the ever-growing share of dynamic electricity contracts, we expect that interest in home batteries and smart charging stations will only continue to grow.
The new network costs are not yet final; this type of thing always takes a lot of discussion and political wrangling before being implemented. But it seems fairly certain that the new system will be adopted from 2028. Therefore: don't hesitate any longer but take the step now to add batteries to your installation. Our advisors are ready to assist you!
The change in network costs makes installing batteries like these even more of a no-brainer
