Fixed energy contract rates are 13% higher this month than before the start of the Iran war, according to calculations by the Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM). Rates for many variable gas and electricity contracts have not yet increased, the regulator notes. However, this may change on 1 July, when many energy suppliers typically update their variable tariffs.
Since March, Iran has largely blocked shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, significantly less oil and gas from the Middle East has reached the global market. This disruption has driven wholesale gas prices sharply upward. The increase has not yet been reflected in most variable tariffs because suppliers purchase gas over longer periods.
The ACM also reports that more Dutch households are choosing fixed contracts since the start of the Iran war. In April, the number of fixed contracts rose by a net 40,000. This is well above the average monthly increase of 25,000 over the past year.
@anp | NEWSBRAINPORT
