‘Energy bill up by hundreds of euros’ | Financial

The problems will arise, according to Gaslicht.com, among people whose contracts are about to expire. People with a contract with variable rates will not notice it until January 1, when variable rates are changed. Variable rates change at two points in the year: January 1 and July 1. People with a contract with a fixed term will not notice much for the time being.

Suppliers reset their rates every month. Gas and electricity prices have risen sharply in recent times, partly due to the economic recovery after the corona crisis. “We get a lot of questions from consumers about what to do now,” says Ben Woldring, founder of Gaslicht.com. “If you want to have today’s rate in December, you have to act now. Or you can wait in hopes that energy prices will come down, but signs of that are not favorable. It is literally the case that energy rates will go up by hundreds of euros per Friday.”

Gas price sharply up

A few weeks ago, the price for a cubic meter of gas was still around €1, Woldring explains. But now even rates of €1.38 have passed, he sees. According to Gaslicht.com, a Dutch household consumes an average of 1500 cubic meters of gas per year. A price difference of 30 cents is €450 difference on an annual basis, Woldring calculates.

The caretaker cabinet recently set aside €375 million for a reduction in energy tax to spare households. “That seems to be the end, but that is only a drop in the ocean and only concerns a few tens on an annual basis,” says Woldring. According to the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, approximately 40% of the Dutch population has a contract with variable rates and 60% has a contract with a fixed term.

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