Electricity demand has soared, pushing the grid's capacity to its limits in many areas. To address this, we are rebuilding our energy system. This process takes time and requires precise, transparent communication with our customers so they know what to expect.
What are the biggest challenges in the energy system? What are we doing to address them? Where is transmission capacity still available? How long will customers have to wait to be connected? And what can they do themselves? We want to answer these and other customer questions as clearly as possible. Through maps and regular updates, we provide insight into waiting list developments and plans to expand grid capacity.
Clear communication with high-volume consumers
In 2024, we introduced the national grid capacity maps with the other grid operators. These show the congestion situation, the available transmission capacity, the required transmission capacity, the number of requests on the waiting list and the capacity on the waiting list. We also provide customers with a monthly update on the capacity of our electricity grid. This includes information on new bottlenecks and congestion studies. Business customers can also subscribe to our quarterly newsletter to keep up to date with the latest developments in the energy grid.
Solutions for high-volume consumers
What customers can already do themselves
In October 2024, we launched the ‘My power grid, your power grid’ corporate campaign. The campaign highlights the importance of using the grid more intelligently and flexibly. And we are taking these steps together with our customers. For example, companies can shift some of their production to night-time hours or charge their electric vehicle fleet overnight. By spreading their energy consumption, they can stay within their contracted capacity and avoid the need for additional capacity. Customers can also explore other solutions. For example, they can generate their own energy to reduce external purchases or store the energy they produce for later use. There are more and more market players that can advise our customers in these areas.
Contracts for flexible capacity
As part of congestion management, we inform and encourage customers to use the grid as efficiently as possible. For example, we ask them to temporarily return some of their capacity to us – for a fee – during expected peak times on the grid. We also offer contracts where they only get capacity during certain time blocks of the day. For example, at night when there is sufficient capacity. Examples include Sappi and Fastned.
Low-volume consumers also affected
Households are increasingly feeling the effects of grid congestion. Their electricity demand is skyrocketing, driven by the introduction of (hybrid) heat pumps, charging stations and electric cooking. At the same time, more and more households are installing solar panels. As a result, the grid often needs to be upgraded or expanded before a household can get a new or upgraded connection. This adds to the workload. With limited labour capacity, even households and small business customers can face longer waiting times for a new connection or upgrade.
Proactive communication with low-volume consumers
To keep low-volume consumers informed of inconveniences, we communicate proactively and provide insight into the situation on the grid. We do this in several ways:
The ‘Full of energy’ campaign informs customers about the challenges facing the electricity grid. With this campaign won Enexis the first prize in the prestigious Grand Prix Content Marketing.
We make long-term plans, such as the neighbourhood approach, transparent on our website. For example, we provide information about problems with inverters and help customers understand the time frame in which we can solve problems.
When a customer requests a new connection, we include the expected delivery time in the quotation if a grid extension is required. We also publish the current delivery times for each sector online.
At the end of January 2025, we launched the online Grid Checker, which allows households and small businesses to check grid availability at the postcode level.
Connection timelines for high-volume consumers extended
Unfortunately, despite our efforts to expand the grid and use it more efficiently, the time it takes to make connections is increasing. This is partly due to staff shortages and congestion on the grid. At the suggestion of market players representing business customers and the joint network operators, ACM has set new connection timelines for high-volume consumers in 2024. These new timelines provide predictability for customers while allowing grid operators to set realistic implementation schedules. Depending on the complexity of the project, the timelines are set at 26 weeks, 52 weeks or a project-specific timeline set by the grid operator that cannot reasonably be shorter. In addition, a dynamic regional waiting period of up to 40 weeks may be added to the standard timeline, taking into account the amount of work still to be carried out by the grid operator. In areas affected by congestion, the connection timeline will be linked to the date on which the congestion is resolved. The new connection timelines will come into force on 1 January 2025.
Connection timelines for low-volume consumers
In September, the Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal (CBb) annulled the ACM code decision Connection Timeline for low-volume consumers following an appeal by Netbeheer Nederland. This means that the code decision is null and void and that ACM must again enter into discussions with Netbeheer Nederland on what constitutes a reasonable connection timeline for consumers and other low-volume users.
Grid tariffs and tariff model
Grid tariffs increased
The grid tariffs increased considerably in 2024. There are three reasons for this:
The cost of using TenneT's high-voltage overhead network has increased. We pay TenneT to transmit energy via this national grid to our regional grids.
ACM has made an advance adjustment to the tariffs for 2022 and 2023. The CBb decided that the grid tariffs for electricity in these years were too low. In 2022 and 2023, Enexis was allowed to charge too little, which we will correct in 2024.
A price inflation of 3% has been incorporated. ACM determined this percentage on the basis of CBS figures.
Households paid 22.9% more for the combined electricity and gas bill in 2024 than in 2023. Grid tariffs will be higher again in 2025. In agreement with ACM, we found that the combined electricity and gas bill, including meter rent for households, will increase by 11% in 2025. This is equivalent to around €6 per month (including VAT).
For business customers, grid tariffs increased between 39% and 42.1% for electricity and 4.7% and 5.3% for gas. The increase depended on the size of the connection and consumption.
Tariff model based on actual demand
Customers now pay fixed grid tariffs. We are advocating a tariff model for low-volume and high-volume consumers based on actual demand for transmission capacity. This will encourage customers to use the grid efficiently. For high-volume consumers, we already have contracts that encourage the flexible use of available grid capacity. The aim is to optimise grid efficiency, ensure fair cost distribution and limit cost increases.
ACM is working with grid operators and others on a tariff structure for customers who feed electricity into the grid, known as feed-in customers. These include large feed-in sources, such as power plants, wind farms and solar farms. They currently pay nothing for the electricity they supply to the grid. Only those who consume energy pay for the infrastructure. ACM and the industry would like to see a better distribution of costs among all users of the grid.