Energy bills for both private households and industry are set to go up sharply from 2012 to help the Netherlands reach climate change targets, the Volkskrant reports on Thursday.

News of the extra costs are contained in a letter from economic affairs minister Maria van der Hoeven to MPs.
The proceeds of the extra levy will be used to invest in sustainable energy. The Netherlands hopes to produce 20% of its energy needs from sustainable sources by 2020.
The increase will be around €20 a year initially, rising to up to €300 a year by 2020, a spokesman told Nos tv. The total amount raised will be around €20bn although the exact figure will depend on oil price developments.