Setting up energy at your new Dutch address
Moving to a new home in the Netherlands means arranging your own energy contract. This is what you need and how to do it in the right order.
In the Netherlands you choose your own energy supplier, it is not tied to the house. When you move in you are not automatically on a good deal: you often inherit the previous occupant's supplier at an expensive default rate. Compare and sign a contract yourself, and you keep the same physical gas and electricity, only the billing changes. You will need your address, your meter readings and usually a Dutch bank account.
How energy works in the Netherlands
Two things are separate here. The network operator (netbeheerder, such as Liander, Stedin or Enexis) owns the cables and pipes to your home and you cannot choose them, they depend on your region. The supplier (leverancier) is who sells you the electricity and gas and sends the bill, and that one you choose freely.
Because of this split, switching supplier changes nothing physical. The same electricity flows through the same cable. Nobody comes to your house, nothing gets cut off, only the company that bills you changes. That is why comparing is low risk: the worst case is that you save money.
What you need to sign up
To take out a contract you usually need: your address and postcode, an estimate of your yearly usage (or just use the average, you can correct it later), your meter readings (meterstanden) on the day you move in, and a Dutch bank account (IBAN) for the direct debit (automatische incasso). Most suppliers ask for a Dutch IBAN; a few accept other SEPA accounts.
You do not usually need a BSN to start, but having one helps with identity checks. Write down your electricity and gas EAN codes if you can find them (they are on the meter or on any letter from the network operator); they uniquely identify your connection and make the switch smoother.
The default-rate trap when you move in
When you register at a new address, you often end up on the contract of whoever lived there before, or on the supplier's standard variable rate. That rate is rarely the cheapest, and it can quietly cost you hundreds of euros a year. Nobody sends you a warning; the bill just runs.
So treat energy as one of the first things to sort after moving, alongside internet and municipality registration. Compare within your first weeks, pick a contract that fits your situation, and give your opening meter readings so your first bill is correct.
Step by step
1. Read your meters on move-in day and keep a photo. 2. Compare suppliers on total yearly cost for your usage and postcode. 3. Choose a contract type that fits you (fixed, variable or dynamic, explained on our contracts page). 4. Sign up with the new supplier; they handle the rest, including telling the old supplier. 5. Check your first advance amount (termijnbedrag) is realistic so you are not over or underpaying.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Dutch bank account to get energy?
In practice almost always yes. Most Dutch suppliers bill by direct debit (automatische incasso) and ask for a Dutch IBAN. A few accept other SEPA (European) accounts, but a Dutch account makes sign-up and identity checks far easier.
Will my electricity be cut off if I do not arrange a contract?
Not immediately, but do not rely on it. If there is no contract on the address you can end up on an expensive default rate or, eventually, risk disconnection. Arrange a contract in your first weeks and give your opening meter readings.
Can I keep the previous tenant's supplier?
You often start on it by default, but you are free to switch to any supplier you like. There is no benefit to staying on an inherited contract if a cheaper one fits your usage, and switching does not interrupt your supply.
How long does it take to switch after I sign up?
Usually around a few weeks. The new supplier arranges everything and tells the old one. You do not contact your old supplier yourself. Your supply is never interrupted during the change.