Is a dynamic energy contract worth it?
Dynamic pricing can be the cheapest option, but only if you can move your usage to cheap hours. Here is what the regulator ACM says and who it really suits.
A dynamic contract follows the wholesale price and can be the cheapest option, but only if you actively move usage to cheap hours. According to ACM ConsuWijzer, the Dutch regulator's consumer site, a dynamic rate can be favourable when prices are low, but you pay more when prices rise. Dynamic suits engaged users with solar, a home battery or an electric car; if you cannot shift usage, a fixed or variable contract gives you more certainty. You need a smart meter.
What a dynamic contract is
A dynamic contract changes price every quarter hour, hour or day, following the wholesale electricity market. When the market is cheap (often at night, or on sunny and windy days) you pay little; during peak hours the price can spike. There is no fixed monthly amount, so your bill moves with the market and with your own timing. You need a smart meter, because the supplier bills on readings per quarter hour or hour.
The appeal is real: if you can run the dishwasher, charge the car or heat with a heat pump during the cheap hours, you can pay less than on a fixed contract. The catch is that this only works if you actually shift your usage.
What the regulator says
According to ACM ConsuWijzer, with a dynamic rate you notice it straight away when prices rise or fall. That can be favourable when prices are low, but you pay more when prices rise. ACM also says your supplier must tell you in advance what the risks of a contract with this rate are. ACM gives no saving amount or percentage.
The reason is that most of your bill does not move with the contract type. Energy tax, network costs, the standing charge and a supplier's risk premium are fixed no matter what, so only the part you can shift to cheap hours can save you money. The regulator ACM has also noted that fixed contracts are making a comeback, even as the number of dynamic contracts keeps growing.
When dynamic does pay off
Dynamic rewards flexibility. It tends to work for households that charge an electric car overnight, run a heat pump on cheap hours, or pair solar panels with a home battery to store cheap or self-generated power and avoid peak prices. If you are engaged, check prices, and are comfortable with a bill that moves, dynamic can be the cheapest option of all.
It also becomes more interesting after net metering ends on 1 January 2027, when timing your own solar power matters more. See our page on solar panels and the 2027 change.
How to decide
Be honest about whether you will really shift your usage. If the answer is "probably not", a fixed contract gives certainty; a variable contract sits in between with more flexibility. If you have an EV, a heat pump or solar with a battery and you will actually move usage, dynamic is worth a serious look. Whatever you lean towards, compare real contracts of each type on your own usage, and remember you need a smart meter for dynamic.
Frequently asked questions
Is a dynamic energy contract cheaper?
It depends on prices and on your usage. According to ACM ConsuWijzer, a dynamic rate can be favourable when prices are low, but you pay more when prices rise. It can be cheapest for people who shift usage and have an EV, heat pump or solar with a battery.
Who should get a dynamic contract?
Engaged users who can shift usage to cheap hours: households charging an electric car overnight, running a heat pump on cheap hours, or pairing solar panels with a home battery, and who are comfortable with a bill that moves. If you cannot shift usage, fixed or variable gives you more certainty.
Do I need a smart meter for a dynamic contract?
Yes. Dynamic pricing can change every quarter hour or hour, so the supplier needs meter data at that level, which requires a smart meter. Most Dutch homes already have one; you can request one from your network operator if not.
Is a dynamic contract risky?
There is more price risk: during peak hours the rate can spike, and there is no fixed monthly amount, so your bill moves with the market. That is manageable if you can shift usage, but it is why dynamic did not pay off for most households in the year to May 2025.