Consumers warned about pricey energy contracts from three providers

Three energy providers are currently offering fixed-rate contracts with rates above the energy price cap, which expires in January. Consumers signing a contract with HEM, OM Nieuwe Energie, or PrikEnergie need to be aware that they will have to pay the high rates in their contracts once the price cap expires, the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) warned in its Energy Monitor on Thursday.

The energy price cap limited energy companies to charging 0.40 euros for a kWh of electricity and 1.45 euros for a cubic meter of gas. HEM’s current fixed rate contracts are well above that, charging up to 0.91 euros per kWh of electricity and up to 2.67 euros per cubic meter of gas, according to the ACM.

The other two suppliers also charge above the price cap but less significantly so. OM Nieuwe Energie charges 0.43 euros for electricity and 1.50 euros for gas. And PrikEnergy charges 0.44 euros per kWh for electricity. Its gas price is in line with the energy price cap.

“Because the new heating season is just around the corner, this is a good time to check whether your energy contract is winter-ready,” ACM director Edwin van Houten said. “The price cap will cease to exist in the middle of the winter, so that means that consumers will have to pay their energy supplier’s price.”

So pay attention to the prices per kWh for electricity and per cubic meter of gas listed in your contract, the ACM urged.

According to the ACM, its energy monitor shows that there is sufficient choice for fixed contracts with prices below the energy price cap. Consumers can also opt for variable and dynamic energy contracts. The ACM advises using a comparison site to see which option suits your needs best. “An unsolicited offer, for example, over the phone or from a salesperson at the door, is actually never the best choice,” the authority warned.