Cabinet extends emergency fund for energy bills in 2025 and 2026

The Cabinet will extend the emergency fund to assist households with a low income when they are faced with high energy bills in 2025 and 2026, anonymous sources close to the decision confirmed on Friday. Climate Minister Sophie Hermans and State Secretary Jurgen Nobel for poverty policy will announce their intent to invest 60 million euros per year towards this purpose, the sources confirmed after an initial report by AD.

The energy sector will also contribute an amount of 10 million euros to this program for 2025. The announcement is expected to be made by letter to Parliament later on Friday.

It is not yet known when exactly households will be able to register and apply for the emergency fund. The Cabinet does want this to be arranged with urgency. Members of the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Parliament, have repeatedly urged this, and last week asked Nobel to appear during a question time round to urge him to hurry up.

The Dutch Cabinet had already reserved 60 million euros in the budget for 2025 to help lower income residents cope with excessive energy bills, but still they were unable to extend the emergency fund at the beginning of the year. This was because the contribution from the energy sector was still in doubt, sources confirmed.

It could be considered a matter of state aid contravening European law without that contribution of 10 million euros. An agreement has now been reached with the grid operators and energy suppliers for 2025.

The announcement is due while the Netherlands is in the midst of a cold snap with daytime temperatures around 4 degrees Celsius, and overnight lows falling to -4 degrees nationally. For the past 30 years, the national average for this time of year is closer to 7 degrees during the day, and just below 1 degree at night.