The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) conducted an assessment of the bill on dismantling the net metering scheme, at the request of the Minister of Climate Policy and Green Growth (KGG). If adopted, consumers with solar panels will lose the ability to offset the electricity they produce from the grid starting January 1, 2027.

ACM recommends clarifying the bill to ensure consumers receive a 'reasonable feed-in compensation' for the electricity they generate. The bill lacks a definition of this term, and ACM suggests granting ACM the power to impose a minimum feed-in compensation on suppliers to prevent unreasonably low payments.

The bill also fails to address the continuity of feed-in costs charged by suppliers to consumers with solar panels. ACM calls for certainty on multi-year contracts taken before 2027 and suggests allowing consumers to cancel contracts free of charge if suppliers change conditions post-dismantling of the net metering scheme.

An amendment to the Dutch Energy Act prohibits households from receiving a negative feed-in compensation. However, energy suppliers can still pass on additional costs related to solar panels, leading to higher expenses for feeding electricity back into the grid. Clarification in the bill is needed to ensure households with solar panels do not end up paying for the power they generate.