The 629 euro on your energy bill follows the meter, not the head count: sharers should count the connections first

When October arrives, a lot of people renting in the Netherlands start arguing about what to set the thermostat to. Before that degree, though, three numbers on the bill save more. The government page states them: in 2026 the energy tax is 11.1 cents per kWh of electricity and 73 cents per cubic metre of gas, and every electricity connection receives a fixed annual energy-tax reduction, which in 2026 is 629 euro including VAT, or 519.80 euro excluding it. The phrase that gets overlooked is per electricity connection. That money has nothing to do with how many people live in the house and everything to do with how many meters it has. A shared house on one meter receives a single 629 euro for everyone; rooms with their own meter and their own contract each receive one. In cities where house-sharing is the norm, that single line decides whether splitting the bill is fair.

• The 2026 rates on the government page: 11.1 cents per kWh and 73 cents per cubic metre, both in the first and second brackets, with 21 percent VAT charged over the whole energy bill on top. (source 1)
• The fixed reduction is 629 euro a year including VAT per electricity connection, or 519.80 excluding VAT. It comes straight off the energy tax, so it weighs heaviest for households that use little. (source 1)
• For sharers: the reduction follows the connection, not the head count. One meter means one reduction for the whole house, so it is worth asking before you sign whether the property has one meter or one per room — it changes how much tax you actually carry. (source 1)
• On heating, the official consumer information body states that each degree higher costs about ten percent more energy over a year, advises no more than 19 degrees while you are home, and puts the saving of setting it to 19 at roughly 170 euro a year — based on a moderately insulated 1970s corner house with two occupants, so a larger or draughtier home saves more. (source 2)

Hokimi field note: two things this year, neither of which costs anything. First, find the line marked belastingvermindering on your bill, check it says 629 euro, and check whether your house has one meter or several — settling that in the house chat is far more useful than arguing about long showers. Second, drop the thermostat one degree for a fortnight; the ten percent figure is an annual one, so the place you will see it is next year's settlement, not this month's advance payment.