SETTING UP HOME DUTCH REGULATIONS MAKE IT EASY FOR RESIDENTS TO CHOOSE AND CHANGE SUPPLIERS
UTILITIES
• The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (www.acm.nl) provides a list of gas and electricity suppliers on their website, or you can use their consuWijzer (www.consuwijzer.nl) to compare prices or seek advice. • On www.energievergelijken.nl, you can compare prices in English and connect your services online.
• If you are paying an inclusive rent, check your contract carefully for what is covered in the monthly sum. • In many cases, the utilities (gas, water and electricity) will already be connected to your home and you just need to transfer them into your name. MAIN SUPPLIERS: • You can connect all your utilities online at www.mijnaansluiting.nl (in Dutch), or www.utility-provider.nl • Budget Energie: www.budgetenergie.nl offers a free service to connect expats with the best deal • Engie Energie: www.engie-energie.nl (in English). • Eneco: www.eneco.nl • Energie Direct: www.energiedirect.nl WATER • Essent: www.essent.nl • There are two elements of water payments: a consumption • Greenchoice: www.greenchoice.nl charge based on actual water usage (which is estimated if • Nederlandse Energie Maatschappij: www.nle.nl you don’t have a meter) and a municipal tax for services • Vattenfall: www.vattenfall.nl (sewage, maintenance, etc.). • Oxxio: www.oxxio.nl • To see which water company covers your area, visit www.vewin.nl and enter your postcode in the box, or ask at COMMUNICATIONS your local gemeente. • There is a huge range of options from many suppliers with • Amsterdam: Waternet 0900 9394 combination deals for telephone (bellen), internet (surfen) • Den Haag/Leiden: Dunea 088 347 4747 and TV, charged under a single monthly fee. • Rotterdam: Evides: 0900 0787 TELEPHONES • Utrecht: Vitens 0900 0650 • North Holland: PWN Waterleidingbedrijf 0900 405 0700 • There are two main suppliers for landlines and phone ELECTRICITY AND GAS connection via cable networks: KPN and Ziggo/Vodafone. • Often the easiest way to connect a landline is to visit • The energy market is liberalised, so you are able to choose a shop (winkel) of those suppliers with appropriate (or change) suppliers. identification and they can set it up, while some cable • Energy companies now have “green” options, where energy networks allow you to sign up online. is bought from alternative sources such as sun, wind, water • There are many additional services such as discounts and biomass. for favorite numbers, or combination deals with internet and TV.
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WWW.EXPATFAIR.NL • THE NETHERLANDS • SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR INTERNATIONALS 2022
