Liander and Enedix, two of the Netherlands’ largest distribution system operators (DSO), appealed to private energy consumers to temper their expectations as the country deals with its seriously congested electricity grid.
According to Liander, the largest Dutch DSO, around 7,300 customers are waiting longer than desired to connect to the grid in order to upgrade an existing small-scale consumption connection to a new or heavier power connection. This places restrictions on customers who want to add a heat pump or charging station to their home or business.
Liander’s Chief Operations Officer, Sarike van Wette, says that a heavier connection is not always necessary and that reducing the number of unnecessary connections can save costs and help reduce pressure on the electricity grid.
Van Wette asked consumers to be better informed about what they can do to lighten the load on the electricity grid, such as charging their cars at night or running their electrical appliances during the day, when solar energy generation is at its peak.
Standard mains connections that most households have provide space for a small hybrid heat pump, 12 solar panels, electric cooking with a single-phase hob and standard electrical appliances. Van Wette advised those considering a heavier connection for an appliance to always consult with the installer to determine whether more capacity is required.
Enexis has also asked its customers to reduce their consumption – and residential solar energy is one of the user categories highlighted.
Rutger van der Leeuw, CEO of Enexis, said in March that the DSO had completed a record number of network updates in 2025, investing 1.9 billion euros and unlocking 542 MW of additional flexible capacity. According to Van der Leeuw, this is comparable to the annual electricity consumption of a city like Eindhoven.
“We have achieved this through flexibility contracts, congestion management, the 100th block power contract and the first collective grid transport agreement,” said the CEO of Enexis.
He added that consumers would play a big role in how the Netherlands can successfully tackle the distribution crisis. “Business customers are increasingly aware that transmission shortages could impact their operations, and they must adapt to this new reality,” he said.
“Customers’ willingness to avoid peak periods is growing. Pilots with central control of hybrid heat pumps show reductions in the evening peak of 10-25%. Many public charging points are now suitable for grid-aware charging and owners of solar panels can be compensated for temporarily reducing the power supply during extreme peak times.”
Liander’s van Wette asked people to be patient due to delays, adding that some locations have more restrictions than others. “What can be done depends on the location,” the COO explains.
“We realize that waiting for a new or more powerful power connection has a major impact on people’s daily lives. For example, if they want to renovate, become more sustainable or build a new house. Unfortunately, we cannot currently realize everything everywhere immediately.”
Van Wette adds that Liander receives questions from frustrated customers asking why the wait is so long and why this varies depending on the location.
“The answer is that the space on the network differs per neighborhood and even per street. That is why one person understands it and another does not. Or one person understands it faster than the other,” says Van Wette. “From that situation, we have to work within those boundaries to keep the network safe and reliable.”
From July 2026, grid operators must limit access to the electricity grid to facilities such as healthcare and education, based on new rules that the Consumer and Markets Authority (AMC) will introduce. Households and businesses will end up on the priority list, with entrepreneurs in a worse position than households.
In May, pv magazine reported that the AMC will impose grid fees for large-scale solar in an effort to address congestion.
