Are you relocating to the Netherlands? If so, one of the first things you’ll probably need to arrange is getting connected to several utilities. Think gas, water, and electricity, but also mobile, television and internet. But how much, on average, will you spend on these utilities? In this article, PartnerPete will give you an estimate of your monthly utility bill in the Netherlands. 

Gas and electricity

Gas and electricity bills will probably be a fair part of your monthly payments. Just one of the things that make living as an expat in the Netherlands an adventure. Expect to spend around €100,- to €150,- on a monthly basis depending on your usage.

E.g. when you’re living alone as an expat in Amsterdam, you’ll pay between €1.200 and €1.500,- on an annual basis, based on a usage of 1.500 kWh and 1.000 m3 (gas). 

Gas and electricity are often billed in two separate fees:

1.    Your provider bills you the amount of energy it has provided to you.

2.    The costs for the use of the provider’s network.

It’s possible you’ll receive two separate bills for this; meaning one is from the energy company and the other bill is from your so-called ‘netbeheerder’. If you receive one bill from the energy provider, then this bill covers both of the costs mentioned above. 

Paid your bills but electricity and/or gas isn’t working? First, check if your neighbors are having the same issue or (when it’s dark) if the street lights are working. If it’s a local problem you can check www.gasenstroomstoringen.nl to see if a power cut has already been reported. Otherwise, you can call 0800–9009 (24/7 and free of charge) to report the issue.

Power plugs and voltage in the Netherlands

The Dutch use the two-pin power plugs, like in most of Europe. If you’re forced to buy new adapters because of this, don’t worry! Most electronics shops should be able to provide you with a suitable adapter.

The electricity voltage in the Netherlands is 220V (or 50Hz); the standard for Europe, but higher than a variety of other countries. Always checking the compatibility of appliances would be a smart thing to do, in any case really.

Water bills

Luckily the Dutch know their way in managing the water, which also counts for the water bills. Water payments consist of two elements: 

  1. One based on consumption for actual water usage.
  2. A tax for services as sewage and maintenance, arranged by the municipality

These costs are often cheaper when calculated based on a water meter. If this is the case in your situation, you can budget around €150,- per year for this. To get all information and examples about the water costs in the Netherlands visit this website (English).

Did you know? Tap water in the Netherlands is one of the safest to drink in the world!

Once per year your supplier will ask you to check and send in meter readings (check our blog on reading your meters), this goes for both energy and water. You will be notified via e-mail or you’ll receive a letter at your address. Based on these meter readings, your monthly costs for the next year will be calculated. 

There’s also a possibility for a refund or additional costs for the previous year based on these meter readings; depending on if you’ve used more or less than in the period in between previous readings. 

Suppliers often offer several options for billing. Choose to pay per month or quarterly. You can choose to allow automatic payments or to make a bank transfer by yourself.

What you can’t choose is the supplier, these are automatically connected to the region or city you’re located in. Find a list of suppliers and regions below.

Dutch water suppliers

Main Dutch water suppliers per region are: ‘Waternet’ (Amsterdam), ‘Evides’ (Rotterdam), ‘Vitens’ (Utrecht), BrabantWater (Brabant), ‘Dunea’ (Den Haag/Leiden) and ‘PWN Waterleidingbedrijf’ (North Holland). 

Interested in the possibilities and costs for internet and/or television in the Netherlands? Find out all you need to know here

Connecting Utilities with the help of PartnerPete

Save time and money and let ParterPete take care of the registrations for you. We connect all your utilities in just one phone call and are devoted to saving you effort, money and time. Our exceptional customer service and a wide variety of utility suppliers make us the best match for connecting utilities in the Netherlands. The best part? Our service is entirely free of charge, no hidden costs.  

Find all the information about how to subscribe and how to get in contact here.