What changes and when
| Date | What | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 7 May 2024 | Register your home battery yourself via Energieleveren.nl (RVO) | in effect |
| 1 January 2027 | Net metering (salderen) ends (Rijksoverheid) | ends on 1-1-2027 |
| 1 January 2029 | Volume- and time-dependent grid tariffs for small connections (ACM draft decision of 8-10-2026). Read more in time-dependent grid tariffs from 2029. | announced (draft decision) |
What is grid congestion?
With grid congestion, the electricity grid is full at certain places and moments: more electricity is requested or offered than the grid can carry.
Netbeheer Nederland writes that home batteries, depending on their purpose, can make grid congestion worse and even cause a power outage. That mainly applies when many homes in one neighbourhood have such a battery.
When is a home battery grid-aware?
According to Netbeheer Nederland, home batteries are grid-aware if they reduce or do not worsen the peaks on the electricity grid. That holds as long as the battery does not feed back during peak moments and does not draw electricity during off-peak moments.
| Use | Effect on the grid (according to Netbeheer Nederland) |
|---|---|
| Storing your own solar power and using it yourself later, with a battery sized to match your consumption | Always grid-aware |
| Charging in the afternoon with a dynamic contract and using it in the evening | Usually good for the local grid, but at some moments it can make the pressure on the grid worse |
| Steering on electricity markets or imbalance prices | Can make grid congestion worse at some moments |
Is the way I use my battery grid-aware?
A short decision aid. This is our own wording based on the Netbeheer Nederland definition, not a verdict on your situation.
| Question | If the answer is yes |
|---|---|
| Do I mainly charge the battery with my own solar power and use that myself later? | Then it is self-consumption, and according to Netbeheer Nederland that is always grid-aware. |
| Does my battery feed back during peak moments on the grid, or draw electricity during off-peak moments? | Then that falls outside the definition of grid-aware use: it may fail to reduce the peaks. |
| Does the app steer the battery on electricity markets or imbalance prices? | Then that can make grid congestion worse at some moments. Check in the app which control mode the battery uses. |
Grid operators are working on grid-supporting use
Grid operators and market parties are working together so that home batteries can support the electricity grid. Grid operators are willing to pay for grid-supporting use, but only in situations where it is really needed.
What changes when net metering ends?
The net metering scheme ends from 1 January 2027. After that you can no longer offset electricity you feed back against your consumption. The cabinet wants to encourage households to use the electricity they generate themselves, and using self-generated electricity directly puts less pressure on the electricity grid.
Netbeheer Nederland considers it important that conditions are met, such as abolishing the net metering scheme, introducing time-dependent grid tariffs and improving registration. A draft decision on those tariffs now exists: read time-dependent grid tariffs from 2029. More on the end of net metering is in net metering ends in 2027 and home battery with solar panels.
Registration is mandatory
If you have a battery system with a power of 0.8 kW or more, you must register it. This gives grid operators an idea of where batteries are and how much power they have. How to do that is explained in registering a home battery.
From 7 May 2024 you can register your home battery (type A) yourself via Energieleveren.nl. How this works for plug-and-play models is explained in connecting plug-and-play safely. More on this is in registering a home battery.
What can you do yourself?
Choose a battery that fits your own consumption, not a bigger one. See calculating home battery capacity.
If you have a dynamic contract, check in the app which control mode the battery uses. See home battery and dynamic contract.
Register your battery.
Want to know what fits your home?
Browse the home batteries or ask for advice.
Sources
- Netbeheer Nederland: Home batteries: home batteries can make grid congestion worse and cause a power outage; definition of grid-aware; self-consumption always grid-aware; dynamic contract usually good for the local grid; steering on markets or imbalance can worsen congestion; conditions such as abolishing net metering; willing to pay for grid-supporting use (accessed on 2026-10-18)
- RVO: Register your battery system: registration required from 0.8 kW, purpose of registration, register yourself via Energieleveren.nl from 7 May 2024; checked 17-08-2026 (accessed on 2026-10-18)
- Rijksoverheid: Net metering scheme ends in 2027: net metering ends from 1 January 2027; using self-generated electricity directly puts less pressure on the electricity grid (accessed on 2026-10-18)
- ACM: proposal for time-dependent grid tariffs for households: draft decision published on 8-10-2026 on volume- and time-dependent tariffs for small connections, new rules from 1 January 2029 (accessed on 2026-10-18)
