01What is a dynamic energy contract?

A dynamic energy contract is an energy contract in which the electricity price is not fixed for a longer period, but moves with the current market price. In practice, this means that the price for electricity can differ per hour. The gas price is set per day. The rates come from the wholesale market for energy, where supply and demand constantly change and influence the price. Energy suppliers then pass these prices on to the customer, for example via an app. On top of that come taxes, grid operator charges, fixed supply charges and a mark-up or purchasing fee from the supplier. A dynamic contract therefore responds much more directly to the market than a variable or a fixed contract. As a result, it can be cheaper at favourable moments, but more expensive at moments of high demand.

A simple example makes things clear. Suppose that the price of strawberries in a supermarket can be charged in three ways. With a fixed price you pay € 4 per punnet all year round, regardless of whether there are many or few strawberries. With a variable price, the supermarket adjusts the price every six months, for example. In spring and summer you might pay € 3,50 and in autumn and winter € 5. If you eat fewer strawberries in winter than in summer, this can be more interesting than a fixed strawberry price. With a dynamic price, the price changes daily or even hourly. On a day with plenty of supply you might pay € 2,50, while at a busy moment you pay € 6. That is also how it works with dynamic energy. If there is a lot of sun or wind and little demand, electricity can be cheap. If there is little supply and a lot of demand, the price rises. So the benefit lies mainly in consuming smartly. You want to eat strawberries or use energy at the right moment.

02You take out a dynamic energy contract

When taking it out, you choose a supplier that supplies electricity at dynamic rates. The contract states that the electricity price is set per hour and that the gas price can differ per day. In addition, you agree on a number of matters, such as the fixed supply charges, the purchasing fee and the way in which the rates are communicated.

03The market price is determined

The electricity price arises on the energy market, where supply and demand come together. The energy supplier has no say in this. If there is a lot of sun or wind and little demand, the price falls. If there is little supply and a lot of demand, for example during cold evenings or windless periods, the price may actually rise.

04The supplier passes on the price

The energy supplier buys electricity at the current market price and passes that price on to the customer. The hourly prices for the next day are often visible in advance in an app or online environment. Based on the weather and various algorithms, supply and demand can be predicted well, so day-ahead prices can be set. As a result, you can see in advance when electricity is cheap or expensive and adjust your consumption accordingly.

05Your consumption is measured per hour

To make good use of dynamic rates, a smart meter is important. It registers how much electricity is used per hour. This allows the supplier to calculate afterwards exactly how many kWh you used during cheap and expensive hours.

06You adjust your consumption smartly

The benefit of a dynamic contract arises mainly when you can shift your electricity consumption. Appliances such as an electric car, dishwasher, washing machine, water heater or heat pump can often run during cheaper hours. With smart charging control or an energy app, this happens partly automatically.

07The energy bill is built up

The energy bill shows the kWhs used against the corresponding hourly prices. On top of that come taxes, grid operator charges, fixed supply charges and the supplier's mark-up or purchasing fee. So the final bill depends not only on how much electricity you use, but also on the moment at which you use that electricity.

08How do dynamic energy prices work?

With a dynamic energy contract, you do not pay a pre-agreed electricity price, but a rate that moves with the energy market. As a result, the price can be low at one moment and rise again a few hours later.

The electricity price can also rise considerably when there is high demand or little supply.

Less suitable if you have little influence over when you use energy.

You have to follow the prices or use automation to benefit.

The energy bill is less predictable than with a fixed contract.

You can benefit from low electricity prices when there is lots of sun, wind or low demand.

Interesting for families with electric cars, heat pumps and other large consumers.

Combines well with smart charging control, apps and energy management.

Sometimes electricity prices are temporarily very low or even negative.

09The best dynamic energy contracts compared

To make the differences between dynamic energy contracts concrete, the indicative amounts for a fictitious example situation are shown below. This is based on an average family with energy and gas consumption. This comparison is of course a snapshot. With dynamic energy contracts, electricity prices change per hour and gas prices usually per day. Fixed supply charges, purchasing fees and any welcome discounts can also differ per provider. So make the comparison yourself and find out for yourself which are the best dynamic energy contracts for you.

10Dynamic energy contract with solar panels

A dynamic energy contract becomes more complex when there are also solar panels. What you draw from the energy grid then depends not only on what you use, but also on your own generation. On a sunny afternoon, electricity can be cheap and the panels supply a lot of electricity. That is ideal for charging an electric car, especially if it is parked on the driveway. On a dark winter's day or during a windless period, the reverse can happen: little own generation and higher market prices. A home battery can help to use surplus solar power later, but is not always automatically profitable. For EV drivers, the electric car itself is often the most interesting buffer, because its battery is much larger than that of an ordinary home battery. With a smart charging point, charging can be matched to solar generation, low dynamic rates and the desired departure time. That way the overall picture adds up.

11Dynamic energy contract with a home battery

A dynamic energy contract with a home battery requires even more coordination, because the battery can charge and discharge based on solar generation as well as consumption and market prices. In theory, that is interesting: the home battery can charge when electricity is cheap or when solar panels produce more than the household uses. Later, that electricity can be used during expensive hours, for example in the early evening. Yet the calculation is not always simple. A home battery of 5 to 10 kWh is useful for household evening consumption, but this capacity is relatively limited compared with the annual consumption of, for example, an electric car that already has a larger battery. Anyone who also has an EV must therefore carefully determine which battery gets priority: the home battery or the car. Smart charging of the electric car is often financially more interesting, because the EV battery is much larger. Then there is not much electricity left for the home battery. A home battery is mainly useful with a large solar surplus, high peak prices and smart control that automatically chooses between charging, discharging and feeding back. Situations with a large solar surplus occur only to a limited extent, so the payback period of a home battery is not always that interesting. This must be assessed case by case.

12Dynamic vs. fixed vs. variable: which contract suits you?

A fixed, variable or dynamic energy contract works in a different way and therefore suits a different type of household. A fixed contract is mainly suitable for those who want certainty and do not want to be actively engaged with energy prices. A variable contract offers a little more flexibility, but the rates can change periodically. A dynamic contract is interesting for those who can steer their consumption, for example with an electric car, solar panels, heat pump, home battery or smart appliances. You benefit more quickly from low market prices, but you also run more risk when prices rise. So the best choice depends on how much certainty you want, how much electricity you use and how well you can shift your consumption to cheap moments.

13Map out your energy consumption

First look at how much electricity and gas you use annually. Pay particular attention to large electricity consumers, such as an electric car, heat pump, water heater, air conditioning or home battery. The better you know when you use energy, the better you can estimate whether a dynamic contract suits you.

14Check whether your consumption is flexible

A dynamic contract is especially interesting if you can shift your electricity consumption to cheap moments. Think of washing, charging, heating or cooling during hours with low electricity prices. If virtually all consumption falls at fixed peak times, the benefit is usually smaller.

15Compare dynamic energy deals

Do not look only at the current electricity price, because with all dynamic contracts it depends heavily on the market. Above all, compare the purchasing fee, fixed supply charges, terms and conditions, feed-in fee and quality of the app. The options for smart charging or automatic control are also important.

16Arrange the switch via the new supplier

After making your choice, you take out the new dynamic energy contract online. The new supplier arranges the switch and cancels the old contract. This is in principle free, unless there is a cancellation fee with the old supplier. So check in advance whether your current contract can already be cancelled freely.

17Set up your consumption smartly

As soon as the contract is active, you use the app and your smart appliances to make use of cheap hours. For example, have the electric car, dishwasher or washing machine start automatically at favourable moments.

18Switching to a dynamic contract: how do you do it?

Switching to a dynamic energy contract is usually not complicated, but it does require slightly different preparation than with a fixed or variable contract. After all, the price moves with the market, which makes your own consumption pattern particularly important. Anyone who compares carefully in advance and uses smart control can get more out of cheap hours and limit unexpected costs.

19Frequently asked questions about dynamic energy

Dynamic energy contracts often raise questions, because they work differently from fixed and variable contracts. The price moves with the current energy market, so electricity can be cheap at some moments and expensive at others.

A dynamic energy contract can be interesting with solar panels. At sunny moments, market prices are often low, while that is exactly when you generate electricity yourself. As a result, you buy little cheap electricity and you may feed back electricity at moments when the feed-in price is low. Without sufficient own consumption or smart control, a dynamic contract with solar panels can be less attractive than it seems at first glance. Especially after net metering disappears, it becomes important to look not only at low hourly prices, but at the combination of generation, consumption and feed-in fee. It must be assessed case by case whether or not a dynamic energy contract is sensible with solar panels.

20The differences between a fixed and variable energy tariff

So we are going to talk about the choice between a fixed or variable tariff for your energy contract. For this it is useful to know what exactly the difference is between these two types of tariffs. With an energy contract with a fixed tariff you pay fixed tariffs for the supply of gas and electricity during the period. However, this only applies to the costs that go to your energy supplier, so the fixed supply charges.

With an energy contract with variable tariffs, the price for the supply of electricity and gas can vary during the term of the contract. The tariffs can therefore rise, but also fall during that period. Whether the tariffs will become higher or lower in a certain period is very difficult to predict. It is therefore important to weigh up for yourself whether you want to and can take the risk of choosing variable tariffs, or whether you can and would rather go for the certainty of a fixed tariff. Should the variable tariffs fall, this of course seems a big advantage and a good reason to choose them. There are various advantages and disadvantages to both variable and fixed tariffs. We give you an overview of these advantages and disadvantages, so that you can make a good assessment for yourself.

The advantages and disadvantages of a fixed or variable energy tariff

The difference between fixed and variable costs really lies only in the supply costs of electricity and gas. Other costs that are added, such as tax, government levies, Opslag Duurzame Energie en Klimaattransitie and grid operator charges, stay the same and are therefore identical for both fixed and variable energy contracts. This is because these costs are not for the supplier, but go to the government and the grid operator.

The advantages of a fixed energy tariff are mainly the certainty and the fact that you do not have to worry about your contract for a long time. You know what you pay and you know how long that will stay the same. The biggest disadvantage of a fixed tariff is that you cannot benefit from any falling prices. The advantage of variable tariffs is that you pay less when the tariffs fall, but on the other hand you may also end up paying more than the fixed price, should the tariffs rise. Then this is a disadvantage instead. Another disadvantage is that you do not have much certainty, since the tariffs can change at any moment.

How often do variable tariffs for electricity and gas change?

To know whether or not you want to choose variable tariffs for electricity and gas, it is of course also useful to know roughly how often the tariffs change. Normally suppliers' tariffs change every six months, on 1 January and 1 July. Since 2014, however, there are also suppliers that change their tariffs every quarter. But in some cases suppliers can also adjust their tariffs in the interim, if the market gives reason to do so.

This is not permitted with energy contracts with a fixed tariff. The other costs for the grid operator and the government can change once a year, on 1 January. When a contract with a fixed tariff expires, it turns into a new variable contract, often with higher tariffs than the contract with a fixed tariff. The fixed tariffs, just like the variable tariffs, only apply to the supply costs for electricity and gas. You cannot have the costs for the grid operator and the government fixed.

21When should you receive information about price changes from the supplier?

With both variable and fixed energy deals, changes can therefore in some cases take place in the tariffs you pay. However, a number of obligations for the supplier are attached to this. For example, informing you in time about price changes.

As of 1 January 2015, energy suppliers are obliged to let you know in good time, explicitly and personally, that the tariffs are going to change. An email referring you to the website has therefore long since no longer been sufficient. In addition, the supplier's general terms and conditions must clearly state how they deal with price changes. You always have rights if changes are made to the tariffs.

30 days in advance

An energy supplier must therefore let you know in good time that the tariffs are going to change. This is because you have a right to cancel with certain changes in the tariffs, which must also be clearly stated in the supplier's general terms and conditions. But what is actually regarded as in good time? No specific number of days is mentioned, as is the case with telecom companies. These companies are obliged to inform customers 30 days in advance about changes in the tariffs for calling, internet and TV. If the changes are to your disadvantage, for example the price goes up or channels disappear, then you have the right to cancel the subscription without extra costs.

On the energy market this unfortunately works differently. The Autoriteit Consument & Markt follows the notice period for consumers. This period is 30 days, so that period is also applied by the regulator for informing about changes in the price of variable tariffs for electricity and gas. If you do not agree with the new tariff, you have enough time to switch supplier if necessary. So the supplier must inform you by 1 June and 1 December at the latest of any adjustments to the tariffs for 1 January or 1 July.

So what is the most advantageous for energy: fixed or variable?

In general, a contract with fixed rates is therefore cheaper for consumers. The annual costs of this are therefore usually lower than with a variable contract. Many energy suppliers also offer welcome discounts with fixed contracts, and a fixed contract of course offers more certainty.

Dynamic energy: best choice, 2026 | EnergieAanbieding.nl

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