Half a million Dutch households in energy poverty

Around 503,000 Dutch households were living in energy poverty last year, or 6% of the total – unchanged from 2024, according to figures from statistics office CBS and research institute TNO published on Thursday.

The share had dropped to under 4% in 2023 while government compensation for high energy bills was in place, then jumped back once the support ended. It remains below the 2019 level of nearly 10%.

Researchers looked for the first time at how far people fall short, and found households on low incomes with high energy bills were on average €624 a year short of escaping energy poverty, up from €577 in 2024. Lifting them all out would have cost around €256 million.

Average monthly energy costs rose from €167 to €181 across all households, and from €177 to €188 for those in energy poverty, who now spend 11.5% of their income on energy – more than twice the national average.

The number of low-income households facing high energy bills rose from 385,000 to 410,000, while the number living in poorly insulated homes continued to fall.

Energy poverty is most common in the big cities, north-east Groningen and south Limburg. The deepest shortfalls are in homes with very poor energy efficiency (€1,295 a year) and among owner-occupiers (€967).