Collective heat supply concerns district heating: networks that supply heat to homes and buildings from a central source. The Collective Heat Act, the Wet collectieve warmte, restructures this market and replaces the consumer-protection regime of the Heat Act with a framework built around designated heat companies and municipal direction.
Statutory basis
The bill was adopted by the Senate on 9 December 2025 and published in early 2026. It does not enter into force in one step: the provisions are brought into effect by royal decree on dates that differ per article, with a transitional regime for existing networks and contracts. Until a provision takes effect, the Heat Act and the maximum price set annually by the ACM continue to apply.
How it works in practice
The municipality designates heat areas and selects a designated heat company for each, which then holds an exclusive right and a duty to supply. Heat companies must be majority publicly owned, with a transitional period for existing private operators. Tariff regulation moves away from the gas reference – the principle that heat should not cost more than natural gas – towards tariffs based on the actual costs of the network, with the ACM as regulator.
Where it goes wrong
Developers and housing associations sign connection agreements for decades on terms that assume the old maximum price. Where the cost-based tariff turns out higher, the occupier bears the difference and the association faces the complaints. A second issue is the public ownership requirement, which affects the valuation and the exit of existing private heat companies and their contracts. Finally, the phased entry into force makes it necessary to check per provision which regime applies to a given network at a given time.
Related terms
Energy Act, grid operator and connection and transport agreement.
Are you negotiating a heat connection, a concession or the sale of a heat company? Our energy lawyers advise on the new framework and the transitional rules.
