Five Dutch energy suppliers have clauses in their fixed gas contracts that can allow prices to rise before the end of the term, as the market braces for future costs tied to green gas blending and ETS-2. The clauses were found by Energyvergelijk.nl in the product terms of Budget Thuis, Delta Energie, Innova Energie, Mega and Vattenfall.
The issue matters now because customers signing fixed contracts generally expect the tariff to stay put for the full period. Koen Kuijper said the clause applies in any case to multi-year contracts being signed now, and warned that many customers may never see it. “Het lastige voor de consument is dat je op de website van de energieleverancier alleen het gastarief ziet staan. Je moet echt het pdf openen en doorlezen om achter deze verhoging te komen. Dat doet lang niet iedereen,” he said.
The clauses are linked to two policy shifts that are still moving through the system. The Dutch government has a draft law before the Raad van State that would require suppliers from 1 January 2027 to deliver an increasing share of green gas to customers. Separately, ETS-2 is due to apply from 1 January 2028 to fuel suppliers that deliver fossil fuels to the built environment, including households. The European Commission introduced emissions trading in 2005 to cut fossil CO2 emissions, and the current debate is about how those future costs are folded into contracts before they arrive.
Not every supplier treats a price rise the same way. Innova Energie and Mega do not let customers end their contract without a penalty if the gas price goes up. Budget Thuis, Delta Energie and Vattenfall do allow cancellation without a fee, though at Delta Energie that applies only to the gas contract and the electricity contract continues. That difference matters because a fixed package can look comparable at first glance while hiding very different escape routes if prices change.
The ACM has already told suppliers that customers signing a fixed contract should know what tariff they will pay during the contract period and that comparability between contracts is important. Its spokeswoman said, “De ACM heeft alle energieleveranciers er eerder al op gewezen dat zij vooruitlopend op de inwerkingtreding de kosten voor bijmengverplichting groen gas en ETS-2 in kunnen prijzen in hun nieuwe contracten.” In other words, the regulator is not objecting to the inclusion of future policy costs in new deals; it is focused on whether those costs are presented clearly enough for consumers to understand what they are buying.
That leaves the central friction point intact: a fixed contract that may not be as fixed as many households believe. Kuijper added, “Het zou kunnen dat die clausule al eerder in de algemene voorwaarden stond, maar daar hebben we geen inzicht in.” For customers, the practical next step is immediate: read the PDF terms before signing, because the tariff on the screen may not tell the whole story.
