Living
Electricity & Water
Electricity & Gas
In the Netherlands the electricity and gas sectors have become privatised, though the government remains a large shareholder in the original provider, Nuon. The power supply in Amsterdam is very good, and there are almost never any problems other than during severe storms. Your gas, water and electricity costs will be around €120 to €200 a month depending on how much you use. To keep electricity costs down don’t leave appliances like computers and TVs on stand-by: remember to turn them off at the wall. If you’re renting it’s very likely utilities will be included in the cost, but make sure you check closely.
Contact one of the electricity and gas companies in Amsterdam and ask them to connect your house. If possible give them at least two weeks’ notice before you move in. The largest provider is Nuon, which offers a variety of services including ‘groene stroom’, which is green power from renewable services. You can contact Nuon via their site, www.nuon.nl (information is in Dutch), or phone 0900 0808 from 08:00 until 20:00 Monday to Friday. Electricity plugs in the Netherlands are all the standard European two- pin plugs. You won’t buy a product in the Netherlands that doesn’t have the correct plug unless you specifically request it. The voltage in the Netherlands was originally 220 volts but is moving at the rate of one volt per year to 230 volts. You can expect your monthly bill to be between €120 and €250. Your gas and electricity meters are read once a year and your bill is calculated from the reading. If you’ve been paying too much you will be refunded, but if you’ve not paid enough you will be expected to cover the difference. Your monthly bill will be adjusted up or down the following year.
In the Netherlands the electricity and gas sectors have become privatised, though the government remains a large shareholder in the original provider, Nuon. The power supply in Amsterdam is very good, and there are almost never any problems other than during severe storms. Your gas, water and electricity costs will be around €120 to €200 a month depending on how much you use. To keep electricity costs down don’t leave appliances like computers and TVs on stand-by: remember to turn them off at the wall. If you’re renting it’s very likely utilities will be included in the cost, but make sure you check closely.
Contact one of the electricity and gas companies in Amsterdam and ask them to connect your house. If possible give them at least two weeks’ notice before you move in. The largest provider is Nuon, which offers a variety of services including ‘groene stroom’, which is green power from renewable services. You can contact Nuon via their site, www.nuon.nl (information is in Dutch), or phone 0900 0808 from 08:00 until 20:00 Monday to Friday. Electricity plugs in the Netherlands are all the standard European two- pin plugs. You won’t buy a product in the Netherlands that doesn’t have the correct plug unless you specifically request it. The voltage in the Netherlands was originally 220 volts but is moving at the rate of one volt per year to 230 volts. You can expect your monthly bill to be between €120 and €250. Your gas and electricity meters are read once a year and your bill is calculated from the reading. If you’ve been paying too much you will be refunded, but if you’ve not paid enough you will be expected to cover the difference. Your monthly bill will be adjusted up or down the following year.
