In short
A dynamic energy contract follows the market price of electricity, per hour or per quarter of an hour, usually plus a small purchase fee, energy tax and VAT.
What is a dynamic energy contract?
With a dynamic contract the rates are linked to the current prices on the wholesale market. The electricity price changes per quarter of an hour or per hour, depending on your contract, and you see the actual rates a day ahead via an app or the website. You need a smart meter for it.
On top you pay often a small purchase fee of 1 to 2 cents, and you should look at the price including energy tax and VAT, because looking only at the bare supply tariff makes it seem cheaper than it is.
The grid tariff (nettarief) is separate from a dynamic energy contract: in October 2026 the ACM published a proposal for time-dependent transport tariffs for small connections from 1 January 2029, but that is a draft and no decision has been made yet; read more in time-dependent grid tariffs from 2029.
Which models can steer on the price? See the shop.
| Contract | How the price changes | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed | Fixed amount per kWh and per m3 of gas for 1, 2 or 3 years | Anyone who wants a fixed amount per kWh |
| Variable | Adjusted during the term, for example every six months, every quarter or every month | Anyone who wants a rate that does not change every hour, but can change |
| Dynamic | Electricity per hour or quarter hour, gas per day | Anyone who can bear strongly fluctuating rates and can steer usage, for example with a home battery |
How does a home battery work with a dynamic contract?
With a dynamic contract you can buy electricity when the price is low and sell it again when the price is high. A home battery can store electricity in between, so you use it yourself later. Whether the battery charges and discharges on the current price by itself depends on the model, the app and your contract. So check that before you buy.
An honest caveat: according to the ACM it is complex for a consumer to judge whether own storage is suitable and profitable. A saving with a dynamic contract is therefore not automatic. You can, however, avoid costs by steering your consumption smartly, and how much that yields depends on your consumption and your options.
With solar panels you combine two signals: your own generation and the grid price. More on panels is in home battery with solar panels. It can also work without panels: some (larger) batteries can be used without solar panels, for example by buying electricity with a dynamic contract when the price is low. More on this is in home battery without solar panels.
How a home battery with a dynamic contract relates to the electricity grid is explained in home battery and grid congestion.
Negative prices and feeding back
At times of a lot of solar generation, electricity prices are, according to the ACM, very low and often even negative. With solar panels it can, according to the ACM, in some cases even pay to switch the panels off temporarily at such moments. Even with a negative price, look at the price including energy tax and VAT, because looking only at the bare supply tariff makes it seem cheaper than it is.
A battery can help here: depending on your situation, according to the ACM own consumption and storage of generated electricity may be advisable. Some suppliers also offer, next to a dynamic contract, smart control of the inverter of your solar panels: the panels are then switched off when the value of solar power is negative, in return for a payment. Whether that is possible depends on your supplier and your inverter.
For feeding back, your feed-in fee with a dynamic contract depends on the current electricity price, per quarter of an hour or per hour. Feed-in costs apply mainly to fixed and variable contracts, and according to the ACM customers of dynamic suppliers pay little or no feed-in costs. Also read how feed-in costs and the feed-in fee work and what changes on 1 January 2027.
Which models list dynamic control?
Steering on price depends on the product, the app and your contract. In our product data only the TSUN PowerTrunk lists a "Dynamic Tariff" mode, next to "Self-use" and "TOU" (time-of-use). For the other models dynamic control is not in the specifications. That does not necessarily mean it is impossible, only that we cannot confirm it.
| Model | Operating modes in the specifications |
|---|---|
| TSUN PowerTrunk | Self-use, TOU and Dynamic Tariff |
| Marstek Venus E 3.0 | Dynamic control not listed |
| Hyxi Halo | Dynamic control not listed |
| AEG Solarcube | Dynamic pricing listed in the datasheet, not in the shop specifications |
| Hoymiles HiBattery 1920 AC | Dynamic control not listed |
Does a dynamic contract suit you?
A dynamic contract suits you if you can bear the risk of strongly fluctuating rates: according to the ACM it brings price fluctuations that you must be able to bear. If you can steer your usage, you benefit more. Even with a battery it stays a financial trade-off: at the moment you most likely will not earn back larger batteries that trade on energy markets either.
How many kWh fits your consumption is worked out in calculating home battery capacity. If you first want to know what a home battery is exactly, read what is a home battery. Unsure between fixed and dynamic with a home battery? Read fixed or dynamic contract with a home battery.
What to look out for when signing up
Ask for a tailored offer. With a dynamic contract too, you must receive a tailored offer, explaining how the energy market works and that future rates cannot be predicted. Your supplier must tell you the risks in advance. The ACM warns that it is difficult to compare the offer of a contract with dynamic rates with a fixed or variable contract.
No cancellation fee. With contracts with variable and dynamic rates you pay no cancellation fee when you cancel.
Be careful with a contract tied to your battery. Think carefully before you take out an energy contract linked to a home battery. If you switch to another supplier later, your home battery can probably no longer use the computer program. The battery does keep storing the energy you generate yourself. So ask beforehand how the battery works if you change supplier.
Feeding back. With a dynamic contract your feed-in fee can change more often, because it depends on the current electricity price, per quarter of an hour or per hour.
Five questions to ask your supplier before you sign: do I get a tailored offer with an explanation of the risks? Is the price per quarter of an hour or per hour? What are the feed-in fee and the feed-in costs? Does my battery control also work after a switch? Which app or energy management system do I need for it?
Sources
- ACM ConsuWijzer: fixed, variable and dynamic supply costs: rate linked to the wholesale market, changes per quarter hour, hour or day; supplier states the risks in advance (accessed on 2026-10-18)
- ACM ConsuWijzer: tailored offer: tailored offer also for dynamic, hard to compare, no cancellation fee, rates 1 day ahead, smart meter required (accessed on 2026-10-18)
- ACM ConsuWijzer: tips for choosing an energy supplier: energy contract tied to a home battery: software probably unusable after switching, storing own energy keeps working (accessed on 2026-10-18)
- ACM ConsuWijzer: what is net metering: feed-in fee with a dynamic rate depends on the current electricity price, per quarter hour or hour (accessed on 2026-10-18)
- ACM: feed-in costs for solar power not unreasonable: dynamic contracts only interesting for those who can bear strongly fluctuating rates; dynamic suppliers charge little or no feed-in costs (accessed on 2026-10-18)
- ACM: research into feed-in costs for solar power: negative electricity prices, switching panels off, controlling the inverter, own storage complex to assess, price fluctuations (accessed on 2026-10-18)
- ACM: proposal for time-dependent grid tariffs: draft for time-dependent transport tariffs for small connections from 1 January 2029, no decision yet (accessed on 2026-10-18)
- Milieu Centraal: energy contracts: electricity per hour or quarter hour, purchase fee of 1 to 2 cents, price including energy tax and VAT, terms of fixed and variable (accessed on 2026-10-18)
- Milieu Centraal: net metering and feed-in costs: feed-in costs mainly with fixed and variable contracts (accessed on 2026-10-18)
- Milieu Centraal: home battery: dynamic contract: buying at low prices, without panels, payback uncertain (accessed on 2026-10-18)
