The vast majority of households in the Netherlands can choose their own gas supplier, but this does not apply to the approximately 500,000 households that are connected to district heating. They must therefore be extra protected against sky-high profits, because they cannot switch to the competitor.
4.7 percent
To prevent suppliers from making ‘more than reasonable’ returns, ACM is now introducing new rules. They prescribe that the efficiency of suppliers of district heating may not exceed 4.7 percent in the coming years.
The return is the profit, compared to the value against which the heat network is registered with the supplier.
If, after an inspection, it appears that the return is unreasonably high, the suppliers must deduct the excess amount paid by consumers in the following year.
Additional protection
At the moment there is already some form of protection for consumers. Every autumn, ACM determines the maximum rates that suppliers of district heating may charge their customers.
The problem is that those maximum rates are set on the basis of the gas price at that time. But it is not certain that a supplier of district heating will actually pay that price to generate the heat.
As a result, it can happen that a supplier is able to make a very high return if he incurs fewer costs. The maximum price will also be determined for the coming years, but the yield test will be added to that.
Returns are not very high on average
Incidentally, it is not the case that everyone will soon be presented with a lower rate due to the new rules. For example, in 2022 the average return was 2.7 percent for all heat suppliers. There are, however, peaks upwards (up to almost 15 percent) and downwards (-12 percent).
2023-08-22 13:21:28
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