ACM launches investigation into heat suppliers that operate without licenses
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has launched an investigation into heat suppliers that unlawfully supply heat without a license. ACM has received reports from heat consumers who wondered whether their heat suppliers had the proper documentation. Consumers who receive their heat from these suppliers may be insufficiently protected in case of, for example, outages, financial mismanagement by the supplier, or rates that are too high.
Henk Don, Member of the Board of ACM, explains: “Heat plays a key role in the energy transition. Heat consumers are entitled to consumer protection, just like consumers of electricity and natural gas are. ACM therefore wants all heat suppliers to comply with the rules. That is why we have launched an investigation.”
ACM’s call on heat suppliers: contact us no later than 10 January
If a heat supplier supplies to more than 10 small-scale users, and supplies more than 10,000 gigajoules of heat per year, it needs to have an ACM-issued license. ACM is calling on heat suppliers to contact ACM no later than 10 January 2020 about applying for such licenses. This call is also aimed at those heat suppliers that are unsure about whether or not they actually need a license. ACM is able to impose sanctions on heat suppliers that fail to apply for a license even after this call.
Even if you do not need to have a license, you still need to comply with the Dutch Heat Act
Heat suppliers with a license requirement are subject to additional rules, but heat suppliers without a license requirement, too, are required to comply with the Dutch Heat Act.