Latest in dystopian utility prices: Dutch man slapped with €100,000 energy bill

Move over horror films, the latest in The Netherlands’ terrifying saga hits the news: Unsuspecting Family Hit with Six-Figure Energy Bill. 😱

An innocent man from Breda got the shock of his life when a bill for €116,936.54 of gas for September slapped him in the face.

Giel Janssens, whose usual bill was for around six cubic metres of gas, recently turned to Omroep Brabant to share his story.

Worst wake-up call ever

The 72-year-old’s first port of call, however was waking his wife, Susan, up to an early Christmas present she’d likely never forget.

READ MORE | Hoera! The Netherlands officially has the highest gas prices in the entire EU

With Giel surviving the encounter, both Janssens then deduced that Essent (their energy provider) must have made a mistake. 

Surely, not even the energy crisis could cough up a bill that insane…right? (Although we wouldn’t put it past energy companies to unnecessarily raise energy prices. 👀)

As the news was delivered on a Sunday — when helplines for customer service are all helpfully closed — there was little the Janssens could do.

A star is born

Out of sheer frustration, Giel emailed Omroep Brabant later that same day.

READ MORE | 10 dang smart ways to save on energy costs in the Netherlands

The publication shared his story (and a screenshot of his panic-inducing energy bill).

All’s well that ends well…right?

Help, for Janssens, came in the form of a call to customer service on Monday.

After much humming, hawing, and head-scratching, it came out that the Janssens’ metre reading had been misreported. The bill, thankfully, would not need to be paid.

However, the silver lining to the Janssens’ saga darkens considerably with the knowledge that none of us are out of the woods yet.

Translation: The gas storage facilities in the Netherlands are now more than 90% full. This way, we will have a buffer for the coming winter. The price fluctuates strongly but is still high. We are therefore working on a temporary price ceiling for energy. Saving energy remains crucial.

Despite the proposed price ceiling, energy prices are still surging, and a €100,000 energy bill isn’t as fantastical as it may once have been.

What would you do if you were hit with a €100,000 energy bill? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image:Depositphotos
Liana Pereira 🇱🇰
Liana Pereira 🇱🇰
Liana juggles her role as an Editor with wrapping up a degree in cognitive linguistics and assisting with DutchReview's affiliate portfolio. Since arriving in the Netherlands for her studies in 2018, she's thrilled to have the 'write' opportunity to help other internationals feel more at home here — whether that's by penning an article on the best SIMs to buy in NL, the latest banking features, or important things to know about Dutch health insurance.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Related posts

Latest posts

Dutch TrainTok? This TikToker shames people running to catch Dutch trains

Pas op Nederlanders! Someone has gained popularity on TikTok by capturing videos of people in the Netherlands running to catch Dutch trains — and...

Who’s your buddy? American-Dutch relations throughout times

The Netherlands and the US have a long and closely intertwined history. In fact, it goes all the way back to the very beginning...

Dutch Quirk #4: Eat dinner ridiculously early

It’s 6 PM, and you know what that means: first beer of the day, you might say, or a nice glass of wine? WRONG! Well,...

It's happening

Upcoming events

The latest Dutch news.
In your inbox.