When Net Metering Ends: What the Dutch Change Shows About Export Payments
- Net metering sets exported electricity against imported electricity, often over a year.
- In the Netherlands the scheme (salderingsregeling) ends on 1 January 2027.
- Export to the grid stays possible, with compensation from the supplier.
- Until 2030 the compensation must be at least 50% of the bare supply tariff, excluding taxes.
- Electricity used directly, without going through the grid, carries no taxes or supplier charges.
Under net metering, electricity you send to the grid is set against electricity you take from it. When that ends, exported power is paid for at a separate rate, and that changes how a battery fits with solar panels.
Net metering versus paid exports
Net metering is a bookkeeping rule. Electricity you export is deducted from electricity you import, so the grid works as a free store for your solar surplus. The usual result is that a kWh sent out is worth about the same as a kWh bought later.
A paid-export system is different. Each exported kWh is sold at its own rate, which is normally lower than the price you pay to import. Britain already works this way through the Smart Export Guarantee, where suppliers pay for what you send out.
What changes in the Netherlands
The Dutch government's page on the salderingsregeling says that the scheme ends on 1 January 2027. From then on, owners can no longer offset their own generation against their consumption. Netting stays available until 31 December 2026, and the original plan to phase it out from 2025 was replaced by a full end in 2027.
Feeding power back stays possible. The page says that until 2030 the compensation must be at least 50% of the bare supply tariff, meaning the electricity rate without taxes. It does not say what applies after 2030. Suppliers may charge feed-in costs, but only for processing the returned electricity, and the regulator ACM supervises them.
Why this makes batteries more relevant
Once exports earn less than imports cost, every kWh you use yourself is worth more than every kWh you export. A battery lets you store midday solar and use it in the evening instead of selling it for a lower rate. The Dutch page itself notes that electricity used directly, without passing through the grid, carries no taxes or supplier charges.
That does not mean a battery pays back automatically. It depends on what you pay for batteries, what your export rate is and how much of your solar you already use. We avoid payback claims here. For Dutch rules in more depth, see our Netherlands country guide.
Good to know
A rule that ends does not always mean a worse deal. Compare the export rate on offer, your own use and the cost of storage before you decide.
What other countries do
Export rules differ widely across Europe, and they change often. Rather than list them from memory, we point to the Europe home battery market overview for the wider trend and to the country guides for each country's current rules, which we recheck on a schedule.
If you plan around a rule that is about to change, find the supplier's actual export rate in writing. Policy minimums set a floor, and the real rate you are offered can be higher.
Common questions
What is net metering?
A system where exported electricity is set against imported electricity, so you pay only for the net amount over a period.
When does Dutch net metering end?
On 1 January 2027, according to the Dutch government. Netting remains available until 31 December 2026.
Will Dutch households still be paid for exports?
Yes. Suppliers must pay compensation, and until 2030 it must be at least 50% of the bare supply tariff.
Does this affect the UK?
Not directly. The UK already pays for exports through the Smart Export Guarantee rather than netting them.
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