Hundreds of thousands of households and businesses in the Netherlands have a higher-capacity electricity grid connection than they are likely to need, according to an investigation by the Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM).
The regulator found that more than 300,000 households and small businesses have connections with greater capacity than their electricity consumption requires. A higher-capacity connection costs more than a standard one, meaning many customers could save a significant amount of money.
According to the ACM, the difference in cost between a standard connection and a higher-capacity connection can amount to thousands of euros per year. Households and businesses can check the type of connection they have on their annual statement from their energy supplier.
“A high-capacity connection to the electricity grid is only necessary if you use several energy-intensive appliances at the same time,” the regulator said. This could apply to facilities such as a sauna, swimming pool or heated pond.
The ACM said households and businesses can often avoid the cost of a higher-capacity connection by using electricity more efficiently and reducing peak demand. For example, they could avoid running several high-consumption appliances at the same time or charge an electric car more slowly.
Reducing connection capacity involves a one-off fee of around €300. However, the ACM urged consumers to consider the decision carefully. Because of congestion on the electricity grid, households and businesses that later want a higher-capacity connection may have to join a waiting list.
The regulator does not expect a significant amount of grid capacity to be freed up if households choose to downgrade their connections.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
