Energy Budget reverses a more sober compensation for solar panels

Budget Energie will once again reimburse all of its customers each year for the solar energy provided. For some of the customers, this has recently been done on a monthly basis, which has led to a storm of criticism.

In the TV show Radar Director Caroline Princen said the so-called monthly compensation will be canceled. Customers are compensated retroactively.

Customers with variable contracts with Budget Energie had to deal with the adjustment from 1 July. Since solar panels generate much less energy in the winter while a lot is used then, the monthly compensation is financially less beneficial to customers. In case of annual compensation, customers can deduct the energy they do not use and feed back to the electricity grid from the amount of energy they have used from the energy supplier.

Princen acknowledged that the introduction of the new policy does not deserve the beauty award and that Budget Energie underestimated what it would bring. “We’re sorry we caused so much noise.”

At the same time, Princen said the annual deal was unfair. She pointed out that there are a lot more solar panels these days, which are cheaper and more efficient. As a result, Budget Energie lost more money on compensation, according to her. People without solar panels, low-income families, are therefore the victims, Princen said.

Budget Energie will therefore continue to promote the possibility of monthly compensation in the near future. In early December, the House of Representatives will discuss a proposal to oblige energy suppliers to carry out the annual net trade. The energy sector often criticizes the compensation scheme, which the government wants to reduce starting in 2025.