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Netherlands · Utilities · Last verified September 30, 2026
When you rent a home in the Netherlands, electricity, gas and water are not always arranged the same way. Some rentals include one or more utilities through the landlord or service-cost advance; in others, you must register with the relevant supplier yourself. Start with the rental contract before signing anything.
What renters usually need to check
- Electricity and gas: check whether they are included through the landlord or whether you need your own energy contract.
- Water: you register with the drinking-water company that serves your address; you do not choose freely from every Dutch water company.
- District/block heating: you may not be able to choose the heat supplier yourself.
- Service costs: utilities billed through the landlord should be distinguished from the basic rent and other service charges.
- Meter readings: record them at handover and keep photos as evidence.
Step 1: read the rental contract before arranging utilities
The Huurcommissie explains that tenants often pay service costs and/or separate advances for gas, water and electricity on top of the basic rent. Your rental contract should show what the landlord supplies and what you must arrange directly.
Do not assume that “service costs included” means every utility is covered. Check whether electricity, gas, water, heating and communal electricity are listed separately and whether the landlord charges an advance that is later reconciled against actual costs.
Electricity and gas: when you arrange your own contract
If electricity and gas are not supplied through the landlord, you normally choose an energy supplier yourself. ACM ConsuWijzer recommends comparing the contract type, total price, fixed charges, duration, conditions and possible cancellation fee rather than looking only at the advertised unit rate.
Dutch household energy contracts can use fixed, variable or dynamic rates. A fixed contract gives more price certainty for the agreed period; variable tariffs can change; dynamic electricity prices can change very frequently and gas prices daily. Choose based on your risk tolerance and expected stay rather than assuming one format is always cheapest.
Moving day: tell the energy supplier early and record meter readings
ACM ConsuWijzer says to notify your energy supplier of a move as soon as possible and no later than about two weeks before the move. If you have separate gas and electricity suppliers, contact both.
If the meter does not transmit automatically, write down the electricity and gas readings at the old and new homes on moving day, photograph them, and provide them within five days. Those readings protect you from paying for consumption that belongs to the previous or next occupant.
Water: your address determines the drinking-water company
Rijksoverheid says you should always report a move to the drinking-water company. Your new address may be served by a different company, so unlike electricity and gas this is not mainly a shopping decision between competing household water suppliers.
If the same water company serves both addresses, report the move and the relevant meter readings. If a different company serves the new home, close the old water account and register with the new company. Rijksoverheid says you can register from the day you receive the keys to the new home.
What if the home has district heating or block heating?
If the home uses district heating, block heating or another collective heat system, the arrangement can differ from a normal gas contract. ACM ConsuWijzer notes that when moving to a property with district or block heating you may not be able to choose the heat supplier yourself.
Ask the landlord or agent who supplies heat, how the advance is calculated, whether there is an individual meter and which costs appear through the landlord versus directly from the heat supplier.
Service costs and utility advances: do not mix them up
The Huurcommissie distinguishes the basic rent from service costs and from advances for utilities such as gas, water and electricity. In practice, your monthly transfer to the landlord can contain several components even though they arrive as one payment.
Keep your rental contract and annual settlement statements. If a landlord bills utilities, the settlement should make clear what was charged and how the advance compares with the actual costs.
Need to set up accounts when moving in? This guide focuses on rental utility bills, meter readings and landlord charges. For an arrival-day setup checklist covering energy, water, heating and internet, use our Dutch utilities setup guide for renters.
Newcomer move-in checklist
- Check the tenancy agreement for electricity, gas, water and heating.
- Ask whether utility amounts are direct bills, landlord advances or service costs.
- If needed, compare energy suppliers and contract types before moving.
- Notify the energy supplier about the move around two weeks in advance.
- Photograph electricity and gas meter readings at key handover.
- Find the drinking-water company for the new address and register the move.
- Check whether the property uses district/block heating.
- Keep the handover report and first/last meter-reading photos.
Official sources checked
- ACM ConsuWijzer — Energiecontract bij verhuizen
- ACM ConsuWijzer — Tips bij het kiezen van een energieleverancier
- Rijksoverheid — Verhuizing melden bij drinkwaterbedrijf
- Huurcommissie — Servicekosten en nutsvoorzieningen
Verification date: September 30, 2026. Utility arrangements depend on the property, rental contract and heating system. Confirm the exact setup before signing a separate supplier contract.
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