Frequently asked questions

Net metering ends completely on 1 January 2027. Until 31 December 2026, all electricity you feed back is still offset against your consumption. After that it is not: you receive a feed-in tariff per kWh, which is much lower than what you pay for electricity. Note: you sometimes read online about a gradual phase-out until 2031. That was an earlier bill that did not pass. The scheme stops in one go.

Your energy supplier must pay you at least 50% of the bare supply tariff — that is the electricity rate without taxes. That floor is set in law until 2030 and ACM supervises it. Suppliers may offer more. In practice, electricity you use yourself will be worth about twice as much as electricity you feed back. That is exactly why storage becomes interesting.

Feed-in charges are costs your supplier bills for electricity you feed back — per kWh or as a fixed monthly amount, sometimes built into the standing charge. Almost all suppliers with a fixed contract now charge them; dynamic contracts usually do not. A home battery lowers this cost simply because you feed back less. You already get that benefit today, regardless of what changes in 2027.

No, but it makes a big difference. With solar panels you store your own surplus and use it in the evening — that is the strongest return. Without panels a battery can still pay off with a dynamic contract: you charge in cheap hours and use that electricity when the price is high. Returns are lower then and payback takes longer. We calculate it honestly for you in the free energy advice.

Realistically that sits between €400 and €1,000 a year. The lower end is for optimising your own consumption only. The upper end comes with a dynamic energy contract, where the battery also trades on the energy market. What you achieve depends on your usage, whether you have solar panels, your contract type and your capacity. We do not make empty promises: in the free energy advice we calculate your situation with your annual usage.

For an average household with solar panels, payback is 7 to 11 years. The biggest variable is your energy contract: with a dynamic contract you often cut 2 to 4 years; with a fixed contract it can rise above 15 years. Because a battery lasts 10 to 15 years, the contract type often decides whether it pays off.

Our guide prices are listed on the product pages, including VAT. They start at €3,275 for a complete 3.85 kWh set with a 5 kW inverter on 1-phase. A popular mid-size is 9.3 kWh for €4,585, and the largest 3-phase setup of 16 kWh comes to €11,360. That price covers the complete hardware set: battery, inverter, meters/CTs and cabling. Installation is not included. We do not use a flat installation fee; we calculate it after the free survey — costs depend on your meter cupboard, cable route and whether an extra circuit is needed. You then get one total amount in the quote, with no surprises later.

Yes, 21%. Solar panels have 0% VAT, but a home battery does not — even if installed together with panels. You may see online that the zero rate also applies to batteries; that is incorrect. You can reclaim VAT only if you use the battery commercially to trade electricity. The Tax Authority sets conditions: an energy management system, a dynamic contract, no KOR scheme, and invoice and energy contract in your name. Check this with your own adviser — we make no commitments about your tax return.

Not at the moment. The ISDE scheme in 2026 covers heat pumps, solar boilers, insulation and electric cooking, but not home batteries for private individuals. Provincial pots barely exist and are usually already empty. If a provider promises subsidy, ask which exact scheme that is. A battery’s return must come from your energy bill, not from a subsidy.

Not mandatory, but by far the most profitable. With a dynamic contract your battery buys electricity when it is cheap and uses or sells it when the price is high. That is the single biggest factor in your return and can cut 2 to 4 years from payback. Dynamic suppliers also usually charge no feed-in fees. Downside: your energy price moves with the market. We discuss in the advice whether that fits you.

Not by default. During a power cut the inverter of your battery and solar panels switches off automatically. That is not a fault but a safety rule: it prevents voltage on the grid where technicians are working. If you do want backup power, you need a backup setup: an inverter with backup function, an automatic transfer switch and a backup box in the meter cupboard. Your home then temporarily forms its own island grid and switches within seconds. Usually such backup powers selected circuits — fridge, lighting, wifi — not the whole house. For our AlphaESS sets the backup box costs €1,230 incl. VAT extra, plus related meter-cupboard work; for Sigenergy it runs via a Sigen Gateway and we put the surcharge in your quote. Tell us at request if backup power matters to you, and we include it in the design straight away.

Often yes, but not always — and we say so honestly if it would deliver little in your case. A battery performs best from about 2,500 kWh annual usage, with solar panels and preferably a dynamic contract. With low usage, no panels and a fixed contract, payback is long. Your meter cupboard and installation space also matter. During free energy advice we look at your annual bill and situation, and “not right now” is also a valid outcome.

Your battery stores electricity you are not using at that moment: surplus from your solar panels during the day, or cheap grid electricity in off-peak hours. When you use more than is coming in, the battery supplies that stored electricity to your home. An energy management system automatically decides when charging and discharging is most favourable, based on your usage, panel yield and — with a dynamic contract — the current energy price.

Rule of thumb: enough storage to bridge a typical evening and night, without paying for capacity you rarely use. For many households that is 5 to 10 kWh. With a heat pump, EV or usage well above average, more capacity is often better. Use our battery calculator for a first indication; final advice follows from your annual bill and a survey.

Expect 10 to 15 years. Modern LFP batteries reach 5,000 to 10,000 charge cycles, and serious manufacturers guarantee about 80% remaining capacity after 6,000 cycles or 10 years. When comparing, note the difference between product warranty in years and warranty in cycles: if your battery trades daily on the energy market, you hit the cycle limit sooner than the year limit. Always ask for both.

With modular systems you can add capacity later, for example when you get a heat pump or EV charger. Two points: expansion only works within the same system and usually within a certain period, and mixing new modules with heavily used ones is not always wise. Mention expansion plans during advice so we choose the right setup from the start.

Little, but not zero. Most systems have a cooling fan that runs during heavy charge/discharge and warm weather. Noise is comparable to a fridge. That is why a battery belongs in a utility room, garage, storage or meter cupboard — not in or next to a bedroom.

A dry, frost-free space: utility room, garage, storage or meter cupboard, on a non-combustible wall or concrete floor. Not allowed or strongly discouraged: a bedroom, a spot above or next to the gas connection, and a wooden floor such as an attic — some insurers even exclude that. Installation must meet NEN 1010: its own circuit, type B residual-current protection, proper earthing, enough ventilation and an emergency switch next to the battery. Our technicians deliver the installation that way.

Yes. Since 7 May 2024 it is legally required to register every battery of 0.8 kW or more that can feed back with your grid operator via energieleveren.nl. That applies to fixed systems and plug-in batteries, with Liander, Enexis and Stedin. Registration is free and takes about fifteen minutes. Grid operators use the data to plan capacity per neighbourhood. We help you register so it is not forgotten.

Yes, always do that. A home battery usually falls under your buildings insurance and raises the rebuild value of your home. More importantly: almost all Dutch insurers exclude damage when installation was not done by a recognised installer or there is no NEN 1010 handover. We install with our own recognised technicians and provide the documentation to prove it.

Installation itself usually takes half a day to a full day. From quote approval we typically schedule within 4 weeks. A survey comes first: we check your meter cupboard, installation space and cable route so there are no surprises on installation day.

Grid congestion is growing in more neighbourhoods in 2026 and means the local grid is temporarily full. You remain limited to your own connection capacity. Good news: a home battery helps here, because you absorb peaks and ask less from — or feed less into — the grid at the busiest times. During the survey we check your connection and whether restrictions apply in your postcode area.