Key Takeaways
An official-looking envelope
Across the Netherlands, many homes receive a white envelope from Zonneplan that looks like an important letter but is actually advertising for an energy contract for households with solar panels.
The main promise
The letter offers a dynamic energy contract with no extra fee for power sent back to the grid and a special “solar bonus” that pays extra money for electricity exported from rooftop panels.
The rules are changing
The Dutch netting scheme, which lets small users balance the electricity they send to the grid against the electricity they take from it at the same price, is planned to end in January 2027; after that, homes will pay for all their use and receive a separate, usually lower payment for what they export.
Space to decide
Because the letter is advertising and not a bill, each household can read it calmly, compare it with other offers, and use the national Postfilter register to reduce future addressed advertising mail if the flow of letters feels too heavy.
Story & Details
A white envelope in December 2025
It is December 2025. The post falls through the door of a home in a Dutch town and lands on the mat. Among supermarket leaflets and a council letter lies a plain white envelope with a green Zonneplan logo in the corner. Through the clear window, an address label is visible. The line does not show a personal name. Instead, it says that the letter is for the residents at that address. This wording is common in Dutch mail and means the letter is for whoever lives there, not for one named person. With its codes and neat layout, the envelope still feels serious, so it is natural to wonder if it might be a bill.
A polite greeting and a bold headline
Inside, a single page carries a formal greeting that is the Dutch equivalent of “Dear Sir or Madam” and a big headline about the “best energy contract for solar panels”. The tone is polite but general. The text says that, according to independent research, homes with a dynamic energy contract pay less for electricity than homes with fixed or variable prices, especially when they have solar panels on the roof. For those solar homes, the letter claims, the saving is around 150 euros per year. The message is simple: if a home has panels, this contract could cut the bill.
How a dynamic contract works
A dynamic energy contract links the price of electricity to the wholesale market. The price can change every hour. When there is a lot of wind and sun, power is cheap and the customer pays less per kilowatt hour. When demand is high and supply is low, the price rises. Consumer organisations in the Netherlands explain that such contracts can be cheaper than fixed deals if a household can move big uses to cheap hours, for example by charging an electric car or running the washing machine at night [11]. Some reports warn that homes which keep most of their use in the busy evening hours, and do not change their habits, may pay more with dynamic prices than with a fixed tariff [9]. The deal can be good, but it is not magic.
What really changes in 2027
The key to the Zonneplan letter is a change in the law. For many years, small users with solar panels have enjoyed the Dutch netting scheme. This rule lets them subtract, over a full year, the electricity they send to the grid from the electricity they take from it, at the same price. A simple example shows what this means. If a home uses 3,000 kilowatt hours from the grid in a year and sends 2,000 kilowatt hours back with its panels, it only pays for the remaining 1,000 kilowatt hours. The grid acts like a free battery that stores daytime energy for use at night.
Government and business information now state clearly that this netting scheme will end in 2027 [1][2][3][4][12][20]. From that moment, the same home still uses 3,000 kilowatt hours from the grid and still sends 2,000 kilowatt hours back, but the bill changes. The home will pay for the full 3,000 kilowatt hours it takes from the grid. The 2,000 kilowatt hours it sends back will still bring money in, but at a lower producer price and on a separate line. The neat one-to-one balance disappears. In simple words, the free battery is gone. There will be one bill for use and one payment for export.
Where the Zonneplan solar bonus fits
This is where the Zonneplan offer tries to stand out. The letter says that Zonneplan does not charge extra fees for feeding power into the grid, while many other suppliers now do. It also promises a solar bonus on top of the normal hourly market price for exported electricity. Public information from Zonneplan explains that customers with panels receive the same hourly market price for their exported power as they pay when they buy power, and that the company adds an extra amount per kilowatt hour plus an extra daytime reward when power is sent to the grid between sunrise and sunset [1][5][6][7][10][13][21]. Independent articles describe how this bonus gives 10 percent extra on the market price during the day, plus a fixed amount per kilowatt hour, and how the total payment can come close to the price the customer pays for imported power in some hours [17][21]. For solar homes that lose netting in 2027, a bonus like this may soften the change, although it does not bring back the full one-to-one balance.
A short Dutch mini-lesson in the letter
The Zonneplan mailing also brings a small and useful lesson in Dutch post. When an envelope is addressed only to the residents at an address, it is meant for whoever lives there, not for a named person. It often signals advertising or general information. When the greeting at the top of the letter is a very formal version of “Dear Sir or Madam”, it shows that the sender does not know who will open it. When both appear together in a letter that talks about products and prices, it is a strong sign that the letter is a sales pitch, not an urgent demand for payment. Learning to read these small signals can help anyone feel calmer when a new energy letter appears on the mat.
Taking back control with Postfilter
Near the bottom of the Zonneplan page, a short line points to Postfilter. This is the national system that lets residents say which kinds of addressed advertising they no longer want to receive. The official Postfilter site explains that people can register their address and choose which sectors, such as energy or insurance, may still send them addressed advertising mail [2][5][8][11][14][18][22]. Government guidance also advises senders to check Postfilter before sending advertising letters [18][22]. Once a resident has set these wishes, participating companies are expected to check them and remove the address from lists when needed. This small note in the Zonneplan letter is more than legal fine print. It reminds the reader that there is power not only in kilowatt hours and contracts but also in the quiet act of saying no to more paper.
Conclusions
A letter that offers, not orders
The Zonneplan envelope may look serious at first sight, yet every detail shows that it is an offer, not an order. It speaks to households with solar panels at a moment of change and uses the coming end of the netting scheme in 2027 as a stage for its message about dynamic prices and a solar bonus. For some homes, especially those that can move heavy use to cheap hours, this offer may bring real savings. For others, a simple fixed tariff with clear, steady prices may still feel safer.
A short time before a long-term shift
In December 2025, there is a little more than one year left before the rules change. Until then, the netting scheme still turns the grid into a kind of free battery and makes life simple for many solar owners. After January 2027, bills and payments will become more detailed. Self-consumption, storage, export prices and contract type will all carry more weight. The Zonneplan letter is only one small piece of post, but it shows clearly how the energy world is moving toward that new reality.
A calm way to read the doormat
For the person picking up the envelope, calm is a good response. The letter can be read slowly, the claims can be checked against government and consumer information, and other contracts can be compared side by side. If the pile of offers grows too high, a few minutes on Postfilter can reduce the flow. Between the end of netting and the rise of bonuses, good information and a quiet moment on the doormat may be as valuable to a home as any number printed on a tariff sheet.
Selected References
[1] Zonneplan – “Dynamic energy prices.” Explains how Zonneplan’s dynamic electricity prices follow the market and states that solar customers with a dynamic contract pay no feed-in fees and receive a fair reward for solar power, including a daytime bonus. https://www.zonneplan.nl/energie/dynamische-energieprijzen
[2] Postfilter – “Grip on unwanted addressed advertising mail.” Main page of the official Dutch Postfilter register, explaining how residents can state which addressed advertising mail they do and do not want to receive. https://postfilter.nl/
[3] Business.gov.nl – “Make your company more sustainable with solar energy.” Dutch government portal for entrepreneurs explaining how solar panels work for businesses and noting that the netting scheme for solar panels ends in 2027, with links to more detail. https://business.gov.nl/sustainable-business/energy/make-your-company-more-sustainable-with-solar-energy/
[4] Business.gov.nl – “Solar panels and VAT.” Government explanation of the netting arrangement for small solar producers, how compensation works, and a clear note that the netting scheme will end in 2027. https://business.gov.nl/sustainable-business/energy/solar-panels-and-vat/
[5] Postfilter – “About advertising mail.” Explains the difference between addressed and unaddressed advertising mail and notes that letters marked for the residents at an address can still be advertising. https://postfilter.nl/over-reclamepost
[6] Business.gov.nl – “Business management – Netting scheme for solar panels ends per 2027.” Amendment page confirming that the netting scheme ends on 1 January 2027 for businesses that sell electricity back to the grid. https://business.gov.nl/amendments/business-management/
[7] Business.gov.nl – “Environmental impact – Netting scheme for solar panels ends per 2027.” Another official page that repeats the end date for the netting scheme and points to its environmental context. https://business.gov.nl/amendments/environmental-impact/
[8] Postfilter – “Which advertising do you no longer want to receive?” Registration page that shows how people can indicate which types of addressed advertising post they want to block. https://postfilter.nl/registreren
[9] OptimaSolar – “Solar panels and feed-in charges: what now?” Independent article explaining feed-in charges, dynamic contracts without such fees, and the impact on homes with panels. https://www.optimasolar.nl/en/blog/solar-panels-and-feed-in-charges-what-now/
[10] Zonneplan – “Dynamic energy contract.” Company page describing Zonneplan’s dynamic contract, the promise of no feed-in fees, and an honest reward for solar power including a bonus. https://www.zonneplan.nl/energie/dynamisch-energiecontract
[11] Vereniging Eigen Huis – “Dynamic energy contract.” Dutch homeowners’ association explainer on how dynamic contracts work, how prices move, and for whom they may be a good idea. https://www.eigenhuis.nl/verduurzamen/energierekening/dynamisch-energiecontract
[12] Netherlands Chamber of Commerce – “Solar panels and selling back to the grid.” Guide for entrepreneurs on how netting works now, how it will end in 2027, and why self-consumption and storage become more important after the change. https://www.kvk.nl/en/sustainability/solar-panels-and-selling-back-to-the-grid/
[13] Zonneplan – “Dynamic energy and solar panels.” Page describing how dynamic prices and solar panels work together, with an emphasis on a fair reward for solar power and the lack of feed-in fees. https://www.zonneplan.nl/energie/dynamische-energie-en-zonnepanelen
[14] Postfilter – “About Postfilter.” Explanation page on how Postfilter works, including how to register with or without an online account and how long a registration stays valid. https://postfilter.nl/over-postfilter
[15] Business.gov.nl – “Netting scheme for solar panels ends per 2027.” Short official note summarising the change for businesses that sell power back to the grid. https://business.gov.nl/amendments/netting-scheme-solar-panels-ends/
[16] Business.gov.nl – “Environmental impact – Netting scheme for solar panels ends per 2027.” Additional government context on why the netting scheme ends and when. https://business.gov.nl/amendments/environmental-impact/
[17] Jeroen.nl – “The Zonneplan solar bonus: big bonus, normal bonus or small bonus?” Personal yet data-rich analysis of the real value of the Zonneplan solar bonus compared with other tariffs. https://jeroen.nl/blog/zonnebonus-zonneplan-wat-lever-dat-precies-op
[18] Postfilter – “Your options.” Page that details registration choices, including registering without an online account and the need to renew preferences every two years. https://postfilter.nl/registreren/opties
[19] Wikipedia – “Net metering.” Background article on net metering around the world, including a note that the Netherlands has had net metering since 2004. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_metering
[20] Zonnefabriek – “Everything about the net metering system in the Netherlands.” Independent solar company article explaining how netting works, confirming that it will end on 1 January 2027, and discussing the role of home batteries and self-consumption. https://www.zonnefabriek.nl/en/faq/everything-about-the-net-metering-system-in-the-netherlands/
[21] Keuze.nl – “The Zonneplan solar bonus: real profit or small reward?” Consumer comparison article that explains the formula of the solar bonus and tests how much extra money it can bring in practice. https://www.keuze.nl/nieuws/de-zonnebonus-van-zonneplan-echte-winst-of-kleine-beloning
[22] Dutch Data Protection Authority – “Advertising mail.” Explains when companies should check Postfilter before sending advertising post and sets out privacy rules around advertising mail. https://www.autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl/en/themes/internet-and-smart-devices/advertising/advertising-mail
[23] YouTube – Vereniging Eigen Huis – “Explained in 1 minute: this is how a dynamic energy contract works.” Short video from a Dutch homeowners’ association that explains, in simple terms, how a dynamic energy contract follows hourly prices and what that means for households. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paKpUcT2mT4
Appendix
Addressed advertising mail
Commercial post that is sent to a specific home or person and shows a full address, sometimes with a name, on the envelope, as opposed to unaddressed leaflets that are delivered to every mailbox in a street or building.
Dynamic energy contract
An energy contract in which the price per kilowatt hour is not fixed but follows the hourly wholesale market, so the customer pays less in cheap hours and more in expensive hours, and can save money by moving big uses to the cheaper times.
Netting scheme
The Dutch rule that lets small users with solar panels subtract, over a year, the electricity they send to the grid from the electricity they take from it at the same price, so that they only pay for the remaining part, a rule that is planned to end in 2027.
Postfilter
A national Dutch register and website that lets residents say which kinds of addressed advertising mail they no longer want to receive, so that participating companies can remove those addresses from their commercial mailing lists.
Solar bonus
An extra payment on top of the normal market price that Zonneplan offers to customers with solar panels for each kilowatt hour of electricity they feed back into the grid when they use a dynamic energy contract.
Zonneplan
A Dutch energy company that sells solar panels, home batteries and energy contracts, and that promotes dynamic prices with no extra feed-in fee and a solar bonus as a way for solar households to prepare for the end of the netting scheme in 2027.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 