Net metering scheme ends in 2027: here's what changes for you
The net-metering scheme ends on 1 January 2027. From that moment, the electricity you feed back is no longer offset against the electricity you draw; instead, you receive a feed-in tariff for it. Below you'll read exactly what changes, what it means for your energy bill and what you can still do now.
What changes about the net-metering scheme in 2027?
The net-metering scheme disappears entirely in 2027, all at once and without a gradual phase-out. Through 31 December 2026, net metering works the way you're used to. From 1 January 2027, your energy supplier settles your consumption and your feed-in separately.
What stays is the benefit of electricity you generate yourself and use right away: you pay no energy tax, no VAT and no costs to your supplier on it. For everything you draw from the grid, you do pay those. That means the moment you use your solar power suddenly starts to count, and that's where a home battery for your solar panels makes the difference.
How does net metering work through 2026?
Through 2026, net metering works as an annual settlement: the electricity you feed back to the grid is subtracted from the electricity you draw. If you feed 2,500 kWh back in summer, you can use 2,500 kWh in winter without paying electricity costs, network costs or energy tax on it. Anything you use above that, you simply settle as usual.
There are limits, though. You can't net-meter more than you draw from your supplier in the same period, and only small consumers with a small connection are allowed to net-meter. If you feed back more over a full year than you use, you receive a feed-in tariff for that surplus, as stated in your contract.
Why is the government scrapping the net-metering scheme?
The government is scrapping the net-metering scheme because net metering costs money, and that bill ends up with everyone. Energy companies also raised their electricity prices for households without solar panels, and the government considers that unfair because not everyone can afford panels. On top of that, the government misses out on tax revenue.
There's something else at play: the government wants households to use more of their own power directly instead of feeding it back, because that reduces the strain on the electricity grid. And in recent years solar panels have become so much cheaper and more efficient that they remain worthwhile even without the scheme. An earlier bill to gradually phase out the scheme was rejected by the Senate on 13 February 2024; the law that ends net metering all at once did pass on 17 December 2024.
What is the feed-in compensation from 2027?
From 2027, the feed-in compensation is the amount your energy supplier pays you for every kWh you feed back to the grid. That compensation replaces net metering. Until 1 January 2030 it must be at least 50 percent of the bare supply rate, meaning the electricity rate without energy tax and VAT.
Suppliers may offer more than that minimum, and the amount is stated in your contract. With a fixed rate, your supplier may not change the compensation during the term. With a variable rate this can happen at set moments, and with a dynamic rate the compensation moves along with the current electricity price. The ACM (Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets) oversees these compensations.
What are feed-in costs?
Feed-in costs are the costs your energy supplier charges for processing the power you feed back. They're separate from the feed-in compensation and they won't disappear when the net metering scheme ends. Some suppliers charge a fixed amount, others an amount per kWh fed back.
Those costs come from two parts: imbalance costs, because the output of solar panels is hard to predict, and higher purchasing costs, because these customers relatively often draw power at expensive moments. The ACM considers it fair that suppliers pass them on, and at the same time points out that the feed-in costs are sometimes higher than the compensation you receive for the power you feed back. So always assess the costs together with the compensation.
What do you still earn per year without net metering?
Without net metering you'll earn less from your solar panels each year, but they still make you money. Milieu Centraal calculated how much solar panels will save on your final bill each year from 2027 onwards. The outcome is quite a bit lower than you're used to now.
| Number of panels | Purchase costs | Average annual return without net metering |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | € 2.500 | € 170 |
| 8 | € 3.200 | € 190 |
| 10 | € 3.800 | € 260 |
How much you get out of it yourself depends mainly on the share of solar power you use directly. After all, every kWh you use yourself is a kWh you don't have to buy, while for every kWh you feed back you only receive the feed-in compensation.
What happens to your energy contract when net metering ends?
When net metering ends, your energy supplier splits your consumption and your feed-in into two periods: up to and including 31 December 2026, and from 1 January 2027 onwards. The statutory net metering scheme ends on the same date for everyone, and your supplier cannot postpone that date. What applies to you after that depends on your type of contract.
Net metering with a fixed contract that crosses the year boundary
A fixed contract that runs beyond 1 January 2027 no longer gives you a legal right to net metering. It may be that your contract still grants you that right, so check what has been agreed about it.
If your supplier changes the terms of your current contract, that is only allowed if your current terms clearly state why they may do so. In that case, you can also switch to another supplier free of charge.
Net metering with a dynamic energy contract
With a dynamic energy contract, your feed-in compensation moves with the current electricity price, sometimes by the hour or by the quarter-hour. From 2027 onwards, that means bigger differences between the moments when feeding back pays off and the moments when it barely does. Those who can steer their consumption or storage based on those prices get the most out of it.
Are solar panels still worthwhile without the net metering scheme?
Even without the net metering scheme, solar panels are still worthwhile. On average they last 25 years and easily pay for themselves within that period, both before and after the scheme ends. The Dutch government confirms this too, and the ACM points to research by Milieu Centraal as its basis.
The payback period may turn out to be longer than you calculated based on the old situation. How much longer depends on the price of your installation, the electricity price and how much of your self-generated electricity you use. Turning off or removing your panels won't help with that, because even without net metering every self-used kWh is still worth money.
What can you do yourself before net metering ends?
Before net metering ends, there are two things you can do that both serve the same goal: increasing the share of solar power you use directly yourself. The first costs you nothing, the second calls for an investment. Which combination suits you depends on your daily rhythm and your energy use.
Using more solar power yourself right away
Using more solar power yourself right away starts with shifting your power-hungry appliances to the sunny hours. An average household now uses about 30 percent of its solar power itself, and that percentage can already be noticeably increased through a change in habits.
These adjustments have the biggest impact:
- Washing machine and dishwasher: run them during the day instead of in the evening.
- Electric car: charge it at home at the times your panels are producing.
- Heat pump or electric water heater: run it around midday.
- Meter cupboard: through the P1 port, the data connection of your smart meter, you can see live what you generate and feed back to the grid.
Power you use yourself doesn't count toward feed-in costs and is free of energy tax and VAT. So every appliance you shift to a sunny moment lowers two items on your bill at once.
Storing solar power in a home battery
Storing solar power in a home battery boosts your self-consumption further than you can achieve by shifting usage alone. The battery charges when your panels produce more than your home uses at that moment, and releases that power again in the evening. Already have panels on your roof? Then check out the Zendure home battery for existing solar installations category, where you'll find the systems that fit an existing setup.
Ready for the end of the net metering scheme?
The end of the net metering scheme doesn't change whether solar panels pay off, but it does change when your power is worth the most. Those who use their own solar power from 2027 onward instead of feeding it back to the grid keep the tax benefit that still applies to self-consumption.
At TechPunt you'll find home batteries from Anker SOLIX and Zendure, shipped from our own warehouse in Barneveld and backed by a 2-year manufacturer's warranty. Not sure which system suits your meter cupboard and energy use? Get in touch by phone, email or WhatsApp.
