NOS | Jeroen van Eijndhoven
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 09:34
The gas bill threatens to become a heavy burden for many people in the coming years. More and more homes are moving away from gas, but not everyone can afford the switch. Moreover, those ‘left behind’ – often vulnerable households – are paying more and more fixed costs. For households that continue to use the same amount of gas in the coming years, the bill could be hundreds of euros higher per year.
That shows research (.pdf) from CE Delft on behalf of Essent to the gas bill in 2030. According to energy company Essent, the increase is mainly due to an accumulation of government policy. “This can lead to frustration among customers, who only see the name of their supplier above the invoice,” says Essent.
In addition, the market leader – which supplies gas and electricity to around 2.5 million households – says it is concerned about the group of around 400,000 households with ‘energy poverty’ who do not have the money to become more sustainable. “If their gas bill rises by 400 euros per year, they will not be able to cope with shorter showers,” says Essent CEO Resi Becker in Trouw.
Without targeted measures, thousands of families will no longer be able to pay their energy bills, the warning sounds. “Structural measures are needed to help these households make their homes more energy efficient and exchange natural gas for a more sustainable alternative.”
Energy is more expensive again
Energy prices are currently considerably lower than in 2023, but the price is expected to rise again in the near future. According to the researchers, in the worst-case scenario, the bill for an average household could rise to 2,290 euros per year in 2030 – an increase of 400 euros compared to last year. “Such an increase is too heavy a burden for vulnerable households with a small wallet, who often cannot benefit from subsidies and often cannot pay their energy bills.”
Call
Are you worried about your energy bill in the coming years, and is sustainability too expensive?
We would be happy to discuss this with you for a TV item in the NOS news.
You can email [email protected].
