Dutch energy contracts: fixed, variable and dynamic rates

Once you have found a home, you may need to choose an electricity and gas supplier. Comparison sites show vast, variabel and dynamisch contracts alongside an estimated monthly payment. Choosing between them also means deciding how much price fluctuation you can accept and how easily you want to be able to switch.

The main difference is how the energy unit price changes. A variable contract lets the supplier adjust rates under the contract terms. A dynamic contract links rates directly to the wholesale market. This guide draws on the Dutch regulator ACM ConsuWijzer, with sources checked on 27 September 2026.

First, check who needs to sign the energy contract

If your landlord already supplies the utilities, check the rental contract’s service charges and billing arrangements before taking out another contract for the same home. If you need your own contract, have the new address, move-in date, electricity and gas meter details, and estimated annual usage ready.

Check how the home is heated, too. District heating or a shared heating system for the building cannot be compared directly with a household gas contract. You generally cannot choose the supplier for these heating services. See ACM’s guide to moving home and energy contracts.

Why pay the same amount each month, then settle up once a year?

A common payment arrangement in the Netherlands is to estimate the year’s energy costs and divide them into equal monthly advances, called a termijnbedrag. For a hypothetical example, if the supplier estimates annual costs of €1,800, it might collect €150 a month. That is neither the cost of that month’s actual usage nor a promise that you can use unlimited energy for €150.

After about a year, the supplier sends an annual bill, or jaarafrekening. It works out the cost using your actual consumption and the rates that applied during each period, then compares that with the advances you paid. You get a refund if you paid too much, or pay the difference if you paid too little. Moving home or changing suppliers can trigger a settlement before a full year has passed.

Fixed, variable and dynamic describe how the energy unit price is calculated; the monthly advance describes how you pay. A fixed monthly payment does not mean a fixed unit price. The advance can also change when estimated usage or costs change. For dynamic offers in particular, check whether you pay advances followed by a settlement or pay for actual usage in each billing period. ACM explains how monthly advances work.

The three rate types at a glance

“Fixed” here refers to the unit rate. Higher usage or changes to taxes and network charges can still increase the total bill. The term vaste leveringskosten on a bill means the supplier’s fixed supply charge. Variable and dynamic contracts can also have this charge; it does not mean you have a fixed-rate contract. ACM’s explanation of energy tariffs distinguishes these terms.

Fixed rates: know the price and the end date

A fixed contract usually runs for an agreed period, such as one or three years. A rise in market prices during that period does not raise your agreed energy unit rates. If market prices fall, your rates do not automatically fall with them either.

If you prefer not to track prices and want to know the cost per kWh of electricity and m³ of gas in advance, a fixed rate can make budgeting easier. It does not guarantee an unchanged annual bill, and the fixed offer available today is not necessarily the cheapest choice.

If you only expect to stay a few months, pay particular attention to the cancellation terms. Moving home, leaving the Netherlands or moving in with a partner does not automatically exempt you from early-termination compensation on a fixed contract. Ask whether you can transfer the contract to your new address. If you need to end it early, ask the supplier for a compensation estimate before deciding to switch. ACM explains that compensation relates to the supplier’s loss from early termination; do not assume it is always a small, fixed administration fee.

When the fixed period ends, the rates usually become variable unless you make another arrangement. Keep track of the end date and compare offers when you receive the new rates. See ACM’s explanation of cancellation compensation and notice periods.

Variable rates: flexibility to switch, with prices that can change

With a variable contract, the supplier adjusts unit rates according to the terms. The contract should explain when, why and how rates can change. Changes may follow a schedule, such as quarterly, but do not assume every offer changes only in January and July. Check your own contract.

ACM says the supplier must give at least one month’s notice of new variable rates. This rule concerns changes to the energy unit price, which are different from adjustments to your monthly advance.

Variable contracts have no early-termination compensation, so they are worth considering if you want flexibility to switch. You still need to be comfortable with possible price increases and keep an eye on notices. The cancellation notice period for any type of energy contract is at most one month; check the actual period in your terms. No compensation does not mean you can necessarily end the contract on the day you give notice. Read ACM’s guidance on tariff changes.

Is electricity always cheaper at night?

Fixed and variable electricity offers can use a single rate (enkeltarief) or dual rates (dubbeltarief). Dual-rate contracts distinguish peak periods, labelled normaaltarief or piektarief, from off-peak periods, labelled daltarief. This is a separate choice from whether the rates stay fixed or change during the contract.

Traditional off-peak periods commonly include nights, weekends and public holidays, but check your contract for the actual hours and prices: night-time electricity is not necessarily cheaper. With a single rate, moving the same consumption from daytime to night-time does not change its unit price. See ACM’s explanation of single and dual rates.

Dynamic rates: when you use electricity affects the cost

Dynamic contracts link supply rates to the wholesale market, where electricity demand and generation, including wind and solar output, affect prices. According to ACM, electricity prices can change every 15 minutes, every hour or every day, depending on the offer; gas prices change daily. Check the pricing interval before signing. “Dynamic” does not always mean hourly.

On sunny Dutch summer days, abundant solar generation often brings lower prices around midday and into the afternoon. Prices may rise again towards evening as solar output falls and demand increases; do not assume the cheap period lasts all evening. Energy supplier ANWB describes this pattern in its explanation of peak and off-peak electricity.

Check the supplier’s website or app for next-day prices, then consider moving planned washing-machine runs, dishwasher use or electric-car charging to lower-priced periods. That can reduce the cost of the same consumption. If you cannot shift most of your use, however, a few cheap periods are not enough to estimate your annual costs.

Gas works differently. Changing when you shower within the same supplier-defined gas pricing day does not give you a different unit rate. Heating use may also be concentrated in winter, so consider both consumption and prices at that time. A low-usage summer bill is not a reliable winter budget.

The annual amount on a comparison page remains a forecast, not a guarantee. When using the app, check whether it shows the wholesale price or a price including taxes and the supplier’s markup. A negative market electricity price does not, by itself, mean your total cost of using electricity is negative. ACM’s guide to personalised offers explains the information dynamic offers should provide.

A meter with a digital display may not be enough

A dynamic contract requires a smart meter, or slimme meter, so the supplier can bill usage for different time intervals. Before moving in, check the meter model and whether remote readings and permission to share interval data meet the supplier’s requirements.

ACM distinguishes smart meters from other digital meters: a digital meter may be unable to transmit readings automatically. A display alone does not establish that the meter is suitable. If you are unsure, ask the network operator and supplier. See ACM’s explanation of smart meters.

Compare annual costs, not just the estimated monthly payment

Use the same address and estimated annual consumption for each quote: kWh for electricity and m³ for gas. If you have just moved and have no bills yet, the landlord’s historical usage figures can be a starting point. Adjust them for the number of occupants, the home and your habits. Previous consumption does not mean you will use the same amount.

Then check:

• Whether electricity and gas unit rates include taxes, and whether a dynamic offer adds a purchasing markup or service fee.
• Whether the estimated total includes fixed supply charges, network charges and taxes.
• When any discount is paid, what conditions apply and whether you must repay it if you leave early.
• The contract’s end date, notice period and possible early-termination compensation.

You do not have to buy electricity and gas from the same supplier. If you are considering separate contracts, compare their terms and fixed charges individually. If your current electricity and gas are combined in one contract, stopping one supply may affect the whole contract, so ask the supplier first. ACM’s guide to choosing a supplier also explains the option of buying them separately.

Finally, check whether the monthly advance is realistic. Reducing it does not lower your energy unit rates; it may simply leave more to pay at settlement. Compare complete costs using the same annual consumption, and leave room in your budget for winter usage, price changes and an additional payment. ACM’s guide to energy bills lists the items included in annual and final settlements.

Solar panels add another set of terms to check

If the home has solar panels, first confirm whether generation and electricity exports are recorded on your energy account. Alongside the price of electricity you buy, compare export compensation (terugleververgoeding), export charges (terugleverkosten) and the rules for offsetting imports against exports.

As of this article’s review date, the Dutch statutory net-metering scheme, or salderingsregeling, is due to end on 1 January 2027. If a contract you sign now runs beyond that date, check how the supplier will account for the periods before and after it, and whether the contract makes any additional promises. Do not apply a 2026 calculation unchanged to the whole contract. This guide does not predict solar returns; see ACM’s explanation of net metering and exported electricity for the rules.

Make your final shortlist around how you live

If stable unit rates are your priority and you expect to stay long enough, start by comparing fixed offers and deciding whether their cancellation terms work for you. If your moving date is uncertain and you want to switch more easily, consider variable offers while allowing for future price changes.

A dynamic offer is worth considering if you are willing to check next-day prices, can shift some electricity use and can absorb price increases. Meeting those conditions still does not guarantee savings. Compare the offer using your own consumption, fixed charges and pricing intervals.

Before signing, make sure you understand four things: how unit rates change, what the total cost includes, when you can leave and what happens when you move. Then include the energy budget in your living costs beyond rent, alongside local taxes, water, internet and insurance.