On 1 January 2027 the Dutch net metering scheme (salderingsregeling) ends. Until then, the electricity your solar panels feed back can be offset against the electricity you draw from the grid. After that date it can't. If you are considering a heat pump, or already have solar panels, the maths changes. Here is what changes and what it means for your decision.
What exactly changes?
With net metering, a kWh you feed back counts as much as a kWh you draw. From 2027 that no longer applies. Instead you receive a feed-in compensation from your energy supplier. According to the Dutch government, that compensation must be at least 50% of the bare electricity supply rate in the coming years. Suppliers may also only pass on the costs they actually incur to process the electricity you feed back.
The scheme ends for everyone at the same time. Even if you already have solar panels, you keep no grandfathered net metering.
Why does this matter if you are considering a heat pump?
After 2027 the gap between "feeding electricity back" and "using it yourself" grows. Every kWh you use yourself saves you the full electricity price including taxes. Every kWh you feed back earns less. A heat pump is a large, predictable consumer: an all-electric home quickly uses several thousand extra kWh a year. Part of that can be covered by your own solar power, which becomes relatively more valuable after 2027.
For households that already have solar panels and are thinking about a heat pump, that is one more argument: electricity you would otherwise feed back at a low rate goes into your own heating and hot water.
Questions about your situation? We are happy to think along.
Request a quoteThe catch: your heat pump mostly runs when there is little sun
To be fair: heat demand peaks in winter, exactly when solar panels produce little. A heat pump doesn't fully solve the feed-in problem. The biggest benefit is in hot water, in the shoulder seasons, and in shifting consumption to the hours the sun shines.
What you can do about it
- Shift consumption. Heat the boiler or hot water during the day and pre-heat the house slightly at sunny moments. A well-insulated home holds that heat.
- Add a home battery. It stores daytime solar power for the evening. Read more in our article on the home battery after net metering.
- Size your solar panels to your consumption. For a new installation, calculate with your usage including the heat pump, not your current usage.
- Review your energy contract. Compare feed-in compensation and any feed-in fees before you sign.
Should you rush?
Not for the heat pump itself: it doesn't depend on net metering. If you also want solar panels, net metering applies to those new panels only until the end of this year, so calculate the payback with the new rules, not the old ones. According to the Dutch government, solar panels remain a good investment after 2027, especially combined with a heat pump and possibly a battery.
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Rules, rates and subsidy amounts can change. This article is general information, not personal advice; check current conditions at the source.