Energie-NL: power grid expansion should not be paid for through people's energy bills

The gigantic investments in the power grid required for the energy transition in the coming years should not be paid for through consumers' energy bills. This was advocated by Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, leader of the trade association Energie-Nederland, in the TV program WNL Op Zondag. She would rather see the money for the expansion and reinforcement of the electricity grid come from general tax resources because there are different rates for poorer and richer households.

"So far, it has actually been spread across all bills," she says about investments in the power grid. This refers to the grid management costs that are part of every energy bill. "20 percent of all energy consumption in the Netherlands is now electricity, which must become a much larger percentage. So billions must be invested to strengthen and expand that grid."

According to the chairman of Energie-Nederland, these costs are impossible to bear for households that already suffer from energy poverty, such as a low income in combination with a poorly insulated home and high heating costs. "There are large groups that cannot even afford radiator foil as a first step to saving. And then we think it is strange that you try to spread that out through the energy bill while it is simply infrastructure that the whole of the Netherlands needs. So our idea is to do that much more from general resources. Then the income test has actually already been passed."

Network operators' rates increased this year by approximately 7 euros per month. According to the supervisory authority, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, which determines which rates grid operators may charge, the extra money is needed for the billions in investments to expand the grids in the coming years.

Earlier this year, the Eigen Huis Association advocated financing investments in electricity networks from general resources. The advocate for homeowners also believes this is necessary to keep energy bills affordable.