Electricity DSO market share in the Netherlands 2016-2020

In 2020, Liander was the operating manager (DSO or distribution system operator) with the highest market share in the Dutch electricity market. The Netherlands has a single electricity market, where taxes are imposed on a national basis. The country’s distribution network, however, operates on different regional levels. Liander, for example, operates in the Amsterdam area, whereas Stedin is active in cities like Rotterdam, Utrecht, and most of the South Holland and Utrecht provinces. Enexis operates in Groningen, Drenthe, Overijssel, Noord-Brabant, and Limburg.

What about energy companies in the Netherlands?

With Liander being the biggest electricity system operator, who is the biggest energy supplier in the Netherlands? As of 2018, it was estimated that Essent/energiedirect.nl had the most clients of all private energy companies active in the country. Market data for energy suppliers in the Netherlands is something domestic sources struggle to collect. In 2004, the Dutch government liberalized the supply of electricity and natural gas, allowing more energy suppliers to enter the market. As these companies do not have to openly share their data, the exact market shares are difficult to determine. This is different than in for example Belgium and Luxembourg, where companies have to share their data with the local authorities.

Electricity prices

In the second half of 2021, the average electricity price for Dutch households was 14.5 euro cents per kilowatt-hour for a medium annual consumption (2.500 – 5.000 kilowatt-hours). This marked a price increase compared to a minimum reached in the first half of the year. In contrast, industrial prices of electricity did not drop in 2020 and increased continuously until 2021 instead.