Amsterdam, May 22, 2026, 17:08 CEST
- Netherlands’ ACM regulator said utilities that locked in gas contracts at fixed rates can’t go back and tack on new charges for future EU carbon or green-gas expenses.
- The fight draws attention to how household energy contracts are treating climate levies due in 2027 and 2028.
- New data show carbon costs in the Netherlands are still split across sectors as the move is announced.
Dutch regulator ACM has intervened after energy companies put clauses in fixed gas contracts that allow price hikes during the contract period. The watchdog says fixed deals must set prices for the whole period and make that clear to the customer at the start. Action followed a consumer platform’s review of contracts across the sector.
Contract terms are in focus as two- and three-year deals signed today will run through the start of new climate policy costs. The EU’s ETS2 carbon market should be fully operational by 2028. The Dutch green-gas blending bill is set to require energy providers to meet annual green-gas quotas tied to share.
Budget Thuis, Delta Energie, Innova Energie, Mega and Vattenfall all have clauses in their contracts letting them hike gas prices if the green-gas mixing rule (BMV) or ETS2, the EU carbon cost for heating and road fuels, push up expenses, according to Radar. Energievergelijk.nl figures show that households using 900 cubic metres of gas could be looking at extra costs by 2028 of 72 euros a year at Budget Thuis, 144 euros at Delta and Vattenfall, 287 euros at Innova, and 326 euros at Mega, if suppliers use those clauses.
Keuze.nl said it teamed up with Vereniging Eigen Huis for a previous review. The review found six gas suppliers with similar contract terms, and estimated the extra charges could add up to 425 euros a year for a typical four-person household using 1,700 cubic metres. The number of suppliers varied depending on the contract and timing, but the main issue was always whether suppliers would absorb future policy costs or make customers pay more later.
ACM says it will stick to a stricter policy than what’s being discussed politically on climate measures. The watchdog told Radar suppliers may include forecast costs in new contracts, but once there’s a fixed-price contract, the gas delivery tariff is locked in—even if BMV or ETS2 is introduced.
ETS2 is set to cover emissions from fuel used in buildings, road transport, and sections of small industry. Under the regulations, fuel suppliers, not households, must monitor and buy allowances. But these costs could end up pushing up retail prices.
Dutch lawmakers are still pushing ahead on the green-gas bill. The Raad van State said the draft would set annual green gas quotas for energy suppliers, but pointed out the bill’s plan for supervising the trading system is not fully developed.
Koen Kuijper, energy expert at Energievergelijk.nl, said visibility is the problem for customers. People see the gas prices on supplier websites, but, Kuijper said, “really have to open the PDF and read it” before they spot the clause. He told Radar his site usually recommends most households take a one-year contract. Radar
Bart Koenraadt, energy expert at Energievergelijk.nl, told the site it remains to be seen whether suppliers will use the clauses to their full extent. He said suppliers might raise prices less or even leave them unchanged.
Consumers looking for other deals can go to bigger players that skip those clauses. Keuze.nl and Energievergelijk.nl say Eneco, Essent and Greenchoice offer multiyear contracts with no ETS2 or green-gas adjustment language.
Fight over household contracts comes as the argument over carbon costs continues. PBL, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, said carbon pricing varies by sector and the mechanism used. The agency put the gap between actual carbon prices and the climate cost at 174 euros per tonne CO2-equivalent, saying the shortfall will reach 18.1 billion euros in 2024. That’s more than 2 billion euros higher than 2023.
PBL said Dutch industry got more than 80% of its emissions covered for free under ETS1, which is the original EU carbon scheme used by power companies and industry. Much of the methane and nitrous oxide from farms didn’t get priced. For households, the impact of carbon and energy policies comes through gas taxes, supplier tariffs, and contract terms. The differences aren’t just minor.
The regulator’s move doesn’t remove future climate costs. Suppliers can still price in expected ETS2 and green-gas costs when setting new fixed contracts, and Keuze.nl said that if a supplier uses a challenged clause, it could end up in court to decide if it’s allowed.
ACM says suppliers must keep gas contracts fixed, even if their costs go up or climate rules shake prices. They can’t hike the price after the customer gets the bill.
