ACM: additional solar panel supply costs not prohibited | RTL News

This is the conclusion of the Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) after research.

According to the regulator, households with solar panels cause higher costs for energy companies than households without solar panels. Energy suppliers spend more money on purchasing costs, imbalance costs and costs caused by the netting scheme for this group of customers.

No extra margin on customers with solar panels

The four energy suppliers examined (Budget Energy, Vattenfall, Eneco and Engie) base the additional costs for their customers on the above three cost items. They make no extra margin on this, according to the regulator. The higher rates for households with solar panels are offset by lower rates for households without solar panels.

Budget Energie, Vattenfall, Eneco and Engie pass on the extra costs for solar panel holders to them in different ways. For example, they pay a higher rate for electricity or have to pay an extra surcharge.

And that is allowed: the law allows suppliers to make a distinction in their rates for customers with and without solar panels. The additional costs may not be passed on in the gas rates.

‘Settlement scheme untenable’

The different ways in which costs are passed on have made it more difficult for customers with solar panels to compare energy suppliers, says the ACM.

Energie-Nederland, the trade association for energy companies, endorses the watchdog’s conclusions. “Purchasing solar panels is still worthwhile,” says chairman Cora van Nieuwenhuizen. The trade association is also of the opinion that the netting arrangement is unsustainable.