Netherlands gas prices face upward pressure from new levies

Dutch households face rising energy costs as a combination of new levies and taxes could push natural gas prices toward €2 per cubic meter. Key drivers include the European emission trading system (ETS2), which will incorporate CO2 emissions into gas bills starting in 2028, and a new mandate requiring energy suppliers to mix increasing amounts of more expensive green gas into the grid.

Additional financial pressures stem from rising energy taxes, which are projected to increase from €0.73 per cubic meter in 2026 to €0.79 by 2030, and climbing grid management costs. Despite these rising prices, data from TNO indicates that average gas consumption is declining, dropping from 880 to 704 cubic meters per year.

In a separate context regarding energy imports, records show that the Netherlands purchased 1.64 billion cubic meters of Russian gas through August 2026.