More than 300,000 families have solar panels that are not ready for completion in time due to old electricity meters – CASA

There are still hundreds of thousands of addresses in the Netherlands where there are solar panels with an old electricity meter that is not suitable for phase-out. This is evidenced by research conducted by the Kassa Consumer Program (BNNVARA). According to Netbeheer Nederland, there are approximately 650,000 addresses that still have an unsuitable electricity meter. Netbeheer Nederland estimates that more than half of these addresses have solar panels. This means more than 300,000 addresses. We will discuss this issue in a broadcast on Saturday, February 3 (7:15 p.m., NPO2).

If the Senate approves the phase-out of the grids next week, the government will instruct grid operators to replace old electricity meters.

Given the amount of work to enhance the network and the number of meters that still need to be replaced, Netbeheer Nederland expects this to be completed in the fall of 2026.

Businesses and consumers are currently allowed to have such an old meter with solar panels until the end of 2024.

But if the Senate agrees to phase out the netting, the smart meter will be mandatory as of January 1, 2025.

Since the last of the old meters will not be replaced until the end of 2026, the Netherlands is not yet ready to phase out netting. This is what Tikki Panman, a member of parliament for the BBB party, says.

Panman: “The law is not enforceable in this way, and we as the Senate are testing that. The minister must go back to the drawing board. The minister will first have to address the problems of the congested network and inability to connect.”

He continues: “In addition, the government is hitting the brakes, especially now that people with a smaller grant can participate. This is not good and affects a reliable government.”