Energy Act 2025: a guide for businesses
Direct answer
The Energiewet is the new Dutch law that, since 1 January 2026, forms the legal framework for the production, transport and supply of electricity and gas in the Netherlands. The Energiewet replaces the Electricity Act 1998 and the Gas Act and bundles the rules into one framework. It strengthens the position of the end user, governs the sharing of energy data and gives room to energy communities.
- Clear definition
- Data-driven assessment
- Risks and opportunities visible
- Practical next steps
Energy Act 2025: scattered information versus Energy Intelligence
For decades two laws governed the Dutch energy market: the Electricity Act 1998 and the Gas Act. Countless amendments made them hard to follow, while the energy transition called for new rules. The Energiewet brings both together in one framework and incorporates European rules. It matters to every end user, from household to large consumer: your rights, your data and your room to generate or share energy yourself are newly set out.
- Since 1 January 2026 the Energiewet replaces the Electricity Act 1998 and the Gas Act, with the Energy Decree and Energy Regulations providing the detailed rules beneath it.
- As an end user you gain more control over your own consumption data: you give permission yourself before another party may use it.
- The law legally recognises energy communities, so businesses and citizens can jointly generate, store and share energy.
Insight
Traditional approach
Information is scattered across portals, documents, invoices or separate spreadsheets.
Modern approach
Data, context and interpretation are brought together into a clear decision picture.
Decision-making
Traditional approach
Choices are made based on averages, assumptions or occasional analyses.
Modern approach
Scenarios, KPIs and current measurement data make the trade-off more concrete and repeatable.
Follow-up
Traditional approach
Actions often stay non-committal or disappear into separate reports.
Modern approach
Follow-up actions, monitoring and reporting are linked to the same energy data.
What does the Energiewet govern?
The Energiewet bundles the rules for the production, transport and supply of electricity and gas into one law. It withdraws the Electricity Act 1998 and the Gas Act and restores structure and coherence that had partly been lost in those older laws. The law incorporates European energy rules and newly sets out the tasks of the grid operators and the roles of suppliers and end users. Beneath the law sit the Energy Decree and several Energy Regulations, such as the Data and Metering regulations, which work out the market processes in detail. The Dutch regulator ACM supervises the market and, within its authority, sets the method for tariff regulation.
- One framework for the production, transport and supply of electricity and gas.
- The Electricity Act 1998 and the Gas Act have been withdrawn.
- European energy rules are incorporated into the law.
- The Energy Decree and Energy Regulations work out the law in detail.
- The ACM supervises the market and sets the method for tariff regulation.
What changes for you as an end user?
The Energiewet strengthens the position of the end user in two ways. First, you gain more control over your own energy data. Before a service provider, such as a saving or monitoring service, may use your consumption data, you first give permission yourself. For sharing that data a central facility is introduced in which you manage that permission. Second, the law recognises the energy community. Businesses and citizens may join together to generate, store and share energy collectively. This can relieve the grid and gives end users more autonomy. The market also gets more room for flexibility and for responding to demand.
- You give permission yourself before a third party uses your consumption data.
- A central facility manages the sharing of your energy data.
- Energy communities are legally recognised: generate, store and share together.
- The law provides more room for flexibility and demand response.
What does this mean for your business?
For a business the Energiewet mainly opens up new possibilities. You gain better access to your own consumption data and can have it used more purposefully by a service you choose, which makes insight into your energy use easier. The legal recognition of energy communities makes it more attractive to generate, store or share energy jointly with neighbouring businesses. Participation in flexibility, where you shift your demand to moments when the grid has room, is also more firmly anchored. Existing contracts and connections remain valid; the transitional provisions ensure the market keeps functioning during the switch. If you want to use the new possibilities, look into the rights the law gives you.
- Better access to your own consumption data, with you in control.
- More attractive to generate and share jointly through an energy community.
- Participation in flexibility is more firmly anchored.
- Existing contracts and connections remain valid thanks to transitional provisions.
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