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'll get a feed-in payment for it. Below you'll read exactly what's changing, 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. On everything you draw from the grid, you do pay those. That makes the moment when you use your solar power suddenly 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 a yearly settlement: the electricity you feed back to the grid is deducted from the electricity you draw. If you feed back 2,500 kWh 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 pay for.
There are limits, though. You can't net-meter more than you draw from your supplier in the same period, and only small-scale users with a small connection are allowed to net-meter. If you feed back more over a full year than you consume, you'll receive a feed-in payment 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 raised their electricity prices for households without solar panels too, and the cabinet considers that unfair because not everyone can afford to buy panels. On top of that, the government misses out on tax revenue.
There's something else at play: the government wants households to use their own power directly more often instead of feeding it back, because that eases the pressure on the electricity grid. And over the past few 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 defeated in 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 the netting out. Until 1 January 2030, it must be at least 50 percent of the bare supply rate, so the power rate without energy tax and VAT.
Suppliers are allowed to offer more than that minimum, and the amount is stated in your contract. With a fixed rate, your supplier can't change the compensation during the term. With a variable rate it can happen at set times, and with a dynamic rate the compensation moves along with the current power price. The ACM (Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets) oversees these payments.
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 a rate per kWh fed back.
Those costs come down to two things: imbalance costs, because the yield from solar panels is hard to predict, and higher purchasing costs, because these customers relatively often draw power at expensive times. The ACM considers it fair that suppliers pass these on, while at the same time pointing out that feed-in costs sometimes end up higher than the compensation you receive for the power you feed back. So always weigh the costs together with the compensation.
What do you still have left per year without net metering?
Without net metering, you'll keep 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 annually from 2027 onwards. The outcome is quite a bit lower than you're used to now.
| Number of panels | Purchase cost | Average annual yield 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 in, 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. The statutory net metering scheme ends for everyone on the same date, and your supplier can't postpone that date. What applies to you after that depends on your type of contract.
Net metering with a fixed contract across the year boundary
A fixed contract that runs past 1 January 2027 no longer gives you a legal right to net metering. It may be that your contract grants you that right anyway, so check what's been agreed about it.
If your supplier changes the terms of your ongoing contract, that's 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 along with the current electricity price, sometimes by the hour or by the quarter hour. From 2027 that means bigger differences between the moments when feeding back earns you something and the moments when it barely does. Those who can steer their consumption or their storage to match 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 more than pay for themselves within that period, both before and after the scheme ends. The Dutch government confirms this too, and for the evidence the ACM refers to research by Milieu Centraal.
The payback time may turn out longer than you'd calculated based on the old situation. How much longer depends on the price of your system, the electricity price and how much self-generated power you use. Switching off or removing your panels won't help, 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 usage.
Using more solar power directly yourself
Using more solar power directly yourself starts with shifting your heavy 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 with a change in habits.
These changes have the biggest effect:
- Washing machine and dishwasher: run them during the day instead of in the evening.
- Electric car: charge it at home during the hours your panels are producing.
- Heat pump or electric boiler: let it run around midday.
- Meter cupboard: via the P1 port, the data connection of your smart meter, you can see live what you're generating and feeding back.
Electricity you use yourself doesn't count towards the 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 beyond what 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 take a look at 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 electricity is worth the most. Anyone who uses their solar power themselves from 2027 onwards instead of feeding it back keeps 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 your usage? Get in touch by phone, email or WhatsApp.
