ACM: information energy companies about the yield of solar panels is below average

The energy suppliers offer customers who have installed solar panels too little information about the expected yield. This makes it difficult for them to determine how much money is being saved and it also makes it more difficult to switch to another energy supplier.

This is the opinion of the Authority for Consumers and Markets in an investigation following complaints received by the ConsuWijzer information desk. ACM concludes that many energy suppliers provide consumers with insufficient information about the netting – the solar energy that is not used locally and is fed back into the power grid – and that they provide the associated feed-in rates.

According to the regulator, agreements were made last year with energy providers about how they should inform consumers about prices and products, whereby the most important requirements are transparency and clarity. For example, consumers should be able to choose better from a supplier or switch more easily. However, ACM concludes that its research shows that many energy suppliers provide very little or no information at all about the yields of installed solar panels. However, they are obliged to provide information about the netting to consumers.

ACM has reprimanded the providers in writing. If the energy suppliers do not get their information in order quickly, the regulator will intervene to enforce the rules, according to ACM. The trade association Energie Nederland informs the NOS that its members will improve their lives and make the information provision more transparent. The organization does state that the efficiency of solar panels cannot be viewed in the annual accounts, because the energy companies would not have the necessary data in their hands.

The investigation also shows that energy suppliers use their own netting methods and feed-in fees, although this is permitted by law. ACM points out that some, in particular ‘green’ energy suppliers, charge a slightly higher feed-in fee than competitors.

Last year, approximately 125,000 households made use of the netting of the extra revenue from their solar panels. According to agreements in the National Energy Agreement, this number should have increased to 700,000 by 2020.