Press Releases

A study by the Consumer Justice Foundation found that 56% of Dutch nationals are avoiding turning on their heating due to rising energy prices – a figure that climbs to 63% among over-65s and families with children.

18 November 2025, AMSTERDAM – The Consumer Justice Foundation (CJF) has conducted a new nationwide study revealing that over half of Dutch households (56%) are keeping their heating off as energy prices continue to surge. The findings indicate a growing energy affordability crisis gripping the Netherlands, with many families and pensioners now cutting back on essentials to cope with soaring costs. Almost a third of Dutch nationals (31%) have reduced spending on leisure and groceries as a direct result of rising energy bills – evidence that high energy costs are reshaping household budgets and rippling through the wider economy.

Household energy costs in the Netherlands have risen sharply in recent years, with average annual bills reaching €2,065 in 2025 – roughly double the level of 2020, according to the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS). This financial strain pushed around 510,000 households into energy poverty, with another one million considered at risk due to high costs and inefficient homes, according to provisional figures from CBS and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO). Compared with other EU nations, Dutch households now face some of the highest gas prices, ranking second only to Sweden in late 2024.

These figures reflect a growing sense of financial insecurity among Dutch households. As such, CJF commissioned the study to better understand how rising energy prices are affecting everyday life and to support its ongoing efforts to challenge unfair energy market practices that have deepened the crisis.

Speaking on behalf of CJF, Michael Lints, Chairman of the Board, said:

“These findings paint a stark picture of how rising energy prices are affecting ordinary Dutch families. Many are being forced to make impossible choices – between keeping warm and putting food on the table. This is not just an economic issue, but a question of fairness and accountability within the energy market. That’s why CJF’s claim launched against every leading energy supplier operating in the Netherlands is so significant – it marks a crucial step toward restoring fairness and holding them accountable for years of unfair practices that have left millions of households and small businesses struggling.”

CJF filed claims with the Amsterdam District Court on 1 October 2025 against all ten major Dutch energy suppliers, seeking justice for millions of Dutch households and small businesses who have been subjected to unfair and unlawful price increases in their variable energy contracts since April 2017. The case subsequently advanced, with a procedural hearing on 29 October 2025 bringing all ten energy companies before the court for the first time to set out their positions.

The claim:

• Includes 10 major suppliers: The writ covers the full range of energy companies that allegedly applied unfair contract clauses, including: Vattenfall, Eneco, Essent, Energiedirect, Budget Thuis, Greenchoice / Greenchoice Zakelijk, ENGIE, Oxxio and Vandebron. This expanded scope – more than any other action – ensures that no supplier can evade responsibility for unfair clauses.

• Ensures both households (consumers) and small businesses are represented: The claim goes beyond consumers alone. Small businesses, which form the backbone of the Dutch economy and who have also faced the same sudden hikes and contractual traps, are explicitly represented. By including both groups, the claim reflects the true scale of economic harm suffered across society.

• Combines consumer and competition legal arguments: The claim brought by the CJF is also the first to rely on competition law, as well as consumer law. It alleges that suppliers acted in parallel to restrict competition by raising energy prices unlawfully, either collectively or individually. This dual approach strengthens the case and highlights the systemic nature of the harm. Subsequently, CJF seeks both compensation for past damage and an end to practices that continue to undermine trust and fairness in the Dutch energy market.

Since April 2017, suppliers have relied on “Amendment” and “Modification” clauses to increase prices unilaterally in variable energy contracts – often without transparency about when or why these rises would occur. Courts and regulators have already confirmed such clauses breach European consumer law. CJF alleges that, despite these rulings, suppliers have continued to use them, shifting risks and costs onto customers.

As the claimant foundation (stichting) bringing this case, CJF represents all affected customers collectively, providing them with an efficient legal pathway to challenge the use of unfair contract clauses in the Dutch energy market, and a system that has left both consumers and small businesses paying the price.

CJF invites all affected households and small businesses to join the claim and seek the compensation they are owed for years of unfair energy costs.

-ends-

Media Contacts:

Dina Hudson – Byfield Consultancy
Email: dina@byfieldconsultancy.com
Telefoon: +44 (0)204 558 6130

Elizabeth James Tingen – Stark Narrative
Email: elizabeth@starknarrative.com
Telefoon: +31 (0)65 420 2905

Notes to Editors:

About CJF
CJF exists to empower Dutch citizens by assisting them with access to justice with regard to consumer products, or  fraudulent or anticompetitive behaviour, and / or marker dominance of such products services behaviours and practises, by uniting claims that would otherwise be too small or too complex to pursue alone. It enables individuals to pursue claims that may be too small or complex to address on their own by consolidating them into collective actions. This approach provides a practical and efficient legal pathway for addressing disputes that would otherwise go unchallenged, ensuring that consumer rights are upheld in a balanced and effective way.

More information is available at: https://www.mijnenergieclaim.nl/

About the Study
The nationally representative survey was conducted between 29 October and 3 November 2025, with 1,023 respondents across the Netherlands participating on both mobile and desktop devices. The research was independently fielded as primary data and asked participants about their perceptions of the energy industry, whether they believe energy companies act fairly, and how recent pricing policies have affected their daily lives and communities.

About Michael Lints
Michael Lints, Chairman of the Board of the Consumer Justice Foundation (CJF), is a Dutch national with more than 20 years of leadership experience as an entrepreneur, investor, and advocate. In his role as role as a Board Chair and spokesperson for the Board, he is committed to advancing consumer justice, guided by the principles of fair treatment, transparency, and accountability. Drawing on his extensive network across business, public institutions, and society, he brings clarity, authority, and integrity to his role, ensuring that the collective interests of claimants are effectively represented and advanced.