The Dutch government previously expressed the wish to move away from gas and switch to alternative forms of energy. In Amsterdam, the municipality even offers subsidies to homeowners who quit gas.
The current coalition feels that the process to move away from gas can be sped up and wants conventional new-build houses finished this year to be built without a connection to the gas network.
Presently, most Dutch houses use gas when it comes to heating, and new-build houses also come with a connection to the gas network. However, if the government is successful, new-build houses will no longer have a gas connection, starting from this year. Primarily, four years had been set aside to achieve this.
New-build residential areas will only be allowed to use the gas network if there are no suitable alternatives, or if alternatives such as the heating grid or heat pumps are too expensive. The majority of the Dutch government is in favour of drastically reducing gas use in order to save the environment and spare Groningen from future crippling earthquakes.