Dutch power bill to be €175 higher by 2021

By the end of this government's term in 2021, the energy bill for Dutch households will be on average 175 euros more expensive than this year, Minister Eric Wiebes of Economic Affairs and Climate said in a parliamentary debate on Thursday. Next year, households can expect an average energy bill increase of 45 euros, NU.nl reports.

Wiebes emphasized that this is an estimate, but if there is no change in policy, households can take these increases into account.

The increase is mainly due to an extra tax on the energy bill, a charge the previous government introduced in 2013 to stimulate investments into sustainable energy. The government also uses this money to capture CO2 emissions and store it underground, in an effort to achieve the Netherlands' goals in the Paris climate agreement. "The energy transition costs money", Wiebes said in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament.

The increase is higher than in previous calculations by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. According to Wiebes, this is due to a levy on the grid operators and a tax on municipalities.

GroenLinks and SP called for businesses to carry a larger part of the tax on the energy bill in the Kamer on Thursday. According to the parties, those who pollute more, should pay more. Currently businesses and households pay an equal amount on this tax.

Wiebes is not against this in principle, but did not agree to a shift. He said that he must also monitor the competitive position of businesses, and higher taxes have a negative effect on that.