After Eneco dropped out, Utrecht now wants to arrange its own heating networks Economy

In recent months there has been a lot of unrest about the costs of heating networks. Housing associations and energy companies such as Eneco and Vattenfall previously withdrew from the development of heating networks in Amsterdam and Utrecht.

The problem is that the costs of installation are so high that if an energy supplier passes them on to households, they are more expensive than with a normal gas connection.

Eneco found the construction in Overvecht to be too expensive and therefore canceled three weeks ago. The mayor and aldermen therefore decided to take control themselves, because Utrecht still wants to make neighborhoods natural gas-free.

“There is no point in further discussions with Eneco,” says councilor Lot van Hooijdonk (Energy) at RTV Utrecht. That is why the municipality is going to do it itself. “And it is important that the heat transition continues. We need heat networks for that.”

The municipality will work with residents’ collectives to see how the heating networks can be realized. The proposal for the establishment of the heating company should be ready by the end of this year. The municipal council must then make a decision about it.

The outgoing cabinet announced earlier this month that it would provide additional subsidies for the development of heating networks. This money must come from the Climate Fund.

Outgoing climate minister Rob Jetten wants to use this to cover the construction costs of heating networks and also make development more profitable. The condition for this is that the heating networks come into public hands. That could happen in Utrecht.