ACM: almost half of the Dutch approached at the door or by phone about solar panels, batteries and heat pumps

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), together with the Consumentenbond, the Fraudehelpdesk, the Juridisch Loket and Vereniging Eigen Huis, launched a warning campaign against unreliable sellers of energy products on Monday, 2 November. The slogan is “Stop het gesprek. Start je eigen check.” (“Stop the conversation. Do your own check.”), and the launch was timed for the start of Climate Week, from 2 to 8 November.

What the authority is seeing. According to the ACM, reports range from people paying hundreds of euros for misleading sustainability advice to older people persuaded to sign contracts for home batteries costing more than €20,000, sometimes as much as €50,000. Sellers initially come across as friendly and knowledgeable, have information about the home or its energy use, or claim to work with an energy supplier or the municipality, and then apply pressure: a subsidy about to expire, a discount valid “only today”.

The figures. The ACM survey of more than 1,800 respondents shows that almost half have been approached by phone or at the door: 33% about solar panels, 30% about home batteries, 29% about advice and 18% about heat pumps. Of the respondents, 37% want to make their home more sustainable, while 42% say there are too many options to make a good choice; among people with serious financial worries the share rises to 53%. According to NOS, the Consumentenbond received almost 1,000 complaints in one year about misleading sales of energy products.

Context. The ACM links the wave of offers to high energy costs, the very wide range of products and the end of the net-metering scheme for rooftop power (salderingsregeling) on 1 January 2027. “A home battery, a heat pump or a new energy contract is a major purchase,” said Manon Leijten, a member of the ACM board, adding that such products are not suitable for sale by phone or at the door.

What comes next. The campaign includes a radio spot, social media posts and online articles; acm.nl/stophetgesprek lists examples of misleading sales pitches and steps for people who want to get out of a contract. The organisations recommend free advice from municipal energy desks and comparing several suppliers, and the ACM asks people to report aggressive sales, even if they bought nothing.

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