Due to a unique set of circumstances, electricity and gas prices have risen at an unprecedented rate this year. If prices continue this high, millions of households with variable rates expect energy bills to rise significantly after January 1. Anyone who is currently entering into a new contract will quickly pay tens of extra euros per month.

“We’re definitely worried,” says Elsek Thomassen of Energiebank Rotterdam, an organization that helps people save energy. “It’s already difficult for a lot of people to pay their energy bills.”

Whether, how much and when someone will notice sky-high prices depends primarily on what kind of power nodes someone has and the insulation of the house.

First of all, the duration of the contract is important. Anyone with fixed prices for a longer period of time will not notice anything at first. This applies to four out of ten families. But anyone with an expired annual contract who wants to sign a new annual contract is currently €500 more expensive a year than 2020, Pricewise reports.

Martin Visser, Professor of Energy Transition at the Hans University of Applied Sciences Groningen, expects a significant price increase in this case, around 400 euros. Both depend on what the average family is using.

This energy coach visits families and gives energy saving tips: