500.000 Dutch households in energy poverty as prices increase

Over half a million households in the Netherlands live in energy poverty. In 2025, these households were short more than 600 euros for their energy bills, an increase from the previous year due to rising prices.

Low incomes and high energy bills affect Dutch households

Energy poverty means a household cannot afford adequate levels of energy use, leaving them unable to satisfy their basic needs, such as heating, cooling, lighting and cooking. Low incomes, high energy bills and poorly insulated homes contribute to energy poverty. 

Based on figures from TNO and Statistics Netherlands (CBS), 503.000 households faced energy poverty in 2025 - 6 percent of all Dutch households. While this number stayed the same as in 2024, the shortfall households faced to escape energy poverty grew.

In 2024, low-income households with high energy costs were short an average of 577 euros. This increased to 624 euros a year later. According to CBS, 256 million euros would have been required to lift these households out of energy poverty.

Struggling households spend 12 percent of income on energy costs

The average household in the Netherlands spends 5 percent of its income on energy costs, but when it comes to low-income households that experience energy poverty, this rises to 12 percent of their income. “Due to an increase in fixed costs and rising energy consumption, energy expenditures rose faster than incomes,” wrote CBS.

According to TNO senior researcher Anika Batenburg, making homes sustainable is the best way to help those living in energy poverty, reports RTL Nieuws. However, 70 percent of energy-poor households live in a rental home owned by a housing corporation, which means they have no or limited options to improve their homes, as this duty falls to the landlord. 

Dutch households already pay the second-highest gas prices in Europe, and with gas prices rising even further due to the war in the Middle East, the Poverty Fund has sounded the alarm. "Structural policies are needed that provide people with security," director Henk de Graaf told NOS. 

As part of its 1-billion-euro crisis relief package, the cabinet promised to allocate 193 million euros for the temporary Emergency Energy Fund to support households with rising energy prices. However, the Poverty Fund says this temporary measure is not enough, as people live with energy worries year-round.