Energy emergency fund opens on 4 January
The energy emergency fund (Noodfonds Energie) will cover part of the energy costs of households whose bills are too high for their income. People must apply themselves between 4 January and 7 May 2027.
The Noodfonds Energie, the energy emergency fund, opens on 4 January 2027 and takes applications until 7 May 2027 inclusive. It pays part of the energy costs of households whose energy bill is too high for their income.
Why it matters
- The fund pays between €120 and €1,800 in total.
- Households may qualify if their gross monthly income is below €3,430 (single adult) or €4,800 (adults living together) and their energy bill exceeds 8% to 10% of gross income, depending on income.
- Support is not automatic: people must apply themselves.
- Tenants with a block connection (blokaansluiting) can apply too.
The income limits are based on 2025 and may differ slightly when the fund opens. They include 8% holiday pay. Anyone aged 18 or older who lives independently can apply. The income of residents aged 22 or younger does not count, unless everyone in the household is aged 18 to 22, as in a student house.
Tenants without their own energy contract, for example with communal heating, can still qualify if they can show what they pay for energy, such as with a service-costs statement. Households on a heat network and users of propane or other energy sources can also apply.
The national government estimates that about half a million households are entitled to support. Research by TNO found that 90% of them are tenants.
The tenants' association Woonbond welcomes the reopening and the inclusion of tenants with a block connection. “We argued for that for years,” said Bastiaan van Perlo, the Woonbond's energy campaigner.
The Woonbond also has criticism. “People who don't switch their heating on at all because they have no money don't qualify, because their energy bill is very low,” Van Perlo said. “They are the people who need the support most.” The Woonbond also criticises the need for people to take action themselves, saying not everyone in energy poverty will know about the fund or be able to apply. The Woonbond would have preferred an increase in rent benefit (huurtoeslag). Van Perlo conceded that this is far less targeted, “but it also helps people with hidden energy poverty.”
What this means for you
- A fixed tariff (vast tarief) keeps the price per kWh or m3 the same for a set period, for example 1 or 3 years. The supplier may charge a cancellation fee (opzegvergoeding) if you cancel early. After that period it becomes a variable tariff, with new tariffs announced at least 30 days ahead.
- A variable tariff (variabel tarief) lets the supplier change the price, usually at fixed moments such as every 3 months, with at least 1 month's notice. Cancelling carries no cancellation fee.
- A dynamic tariff (dynamisch tarief) changes the electricity price every quarter of an hour, every hour or every day, and the gas price daily, following the wholesale market.
- A model contract (modelcontract) is a standard variable contract or a 1-year fixed contract whose variable tariff may not change more than 4 times a year. Suppliers may charge customers with solar panels feed-in costs (terugleverkosten).
Source: ACM ConsuWijzer: vaste en variabele leveringskosten, read 20 October 2026
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Follow the story: Woonbond
Noodfonds Energie
The Noodfonds Energie is the Dutch government's energy emergency fund, which contributes to the energy costs of households whose energy bill is too high for their income. It is not an ongoing benefit: it opens for applications only during set periods. Eligibility depends on household income and energy costs, so people who use very little energy may not qualify.
Woonbond
The Woonbond is the Dutch national tenants' association, an organisation that represents the interests of people who rent their homes. It campaigns on housing policy, including rents, tenants' rights and sustainability of rental homes. Its positions are often cited in Dutch debates on housing and energy policy.
huurtoeslag
Huurtoeslag is a Dutch rent allowance paid by the Belastingdienst to tenants with a low income whose rent is below a maximum set by the government. It is administered through the Toeslagen service and is calculated on income, household situation and rent. Because it depends on the rent level, it does not take energy costs into account.