Which is the best energy supplier for solar panels?

4 tips: how to find the best energy supplier with solar panels

Keep these 4 things in mind if you want to find the cheapest supplier when you have solar panels.

Tip 1: Choose a fixed-rate energy plan

A fixed-rate energy contract is the most cost-effective option with solar panels, and it also offers the most price certainty.

Here’s why:

A major advantage of a fixed-rate energy contract is that it allows you to secure a welcome discount as a new customer. Especially with solar panels, a discount of up to €500 makes a significant difference in your annual bill.

Plus, you’ll know exactly what rates you’ll be paying for the entire contract period, giving you certainty about what your solar panels will cost and generate.

You have little to no access to these benefits with a variable-rate energy contract. Our data also shows that this type of contract is consistently more expensive than a fixed-rate contract.

A dynamic energy contract with solar panels isn’t necessarily more advantageous either:

• Net metering is less favorable (on an hourly basis)
• You feed electricity back at the lowest dynamic electricity price between 12:00 and 16:00 (often yielding €0 or less)
• The price advantage of feeding electricity back into the grid compared to fixed-rate contracts remains to be seen

Tip 2: Compare the total cost of your energy contract

When comparing energy contracts with solar panels, let the total annual price be the deciding factor and don’t get hung up on individual price components, such as feed-in tariffs, gas and electricity prices, and fixed costs.

Here’s why:

Ultimately, the annual price—based on all price components combined—determines which supplier is the most cost-effective for you with solar panels.

It happens often enough that suppliers with lower rates and low net feed-in costs aren’t actually the cheapest in the comparison tool. In those cases, a high welcome discount of a few hundred euros ends up being the deciding factor.

Our energy comparison tool takes all key factors into account to find the best energy supplier, such as:

• Electricity price
• Welcome discount
• Feed-in tariff
• Feed-in costs
• End of net metering starting in 2027

Tip 3: Choose a 1-year fixed-rate plan due to the end of net metering

It’s better to choose a 1-year fixed-rate plan now. That’s cheaper than a 3-year fixed-rate plan and smarter in light of the end of net metering. Starting in 2027, your situation will change, so you’ll want to be able to switch again without being locked into an overly expensive contract for too long.

Here’s why:

Starting January 1, 2027, the net metering scheme will end. This means:

• You will only receive a feed-in tariff for the electricity you feed back into the grid (at least 50% of the base electricity rate)
• You will no longer receive a refund for energy tax and 21% VAT on the electricity you feed back
• With many suppliers, you’ll receive less than 1 cent per kWh in net feed-in revenue

As a result, feeding electricity back into the grid will be worth much less than it is now, and you’ll pay more for your energy.

Since we expect feed-in costs to decrease for many suppliers starting in 2027, resulting in a slightly higher net compensation, it’s wise not to lock yourself into an energy contract with solar panels for too long right now. That way, starting next year, you can compare rates again—without net metering—and lock in the cheapest contract.

Our comparison tool already incorporates the new rates effective in 2027, so you can immediately see which supplier is the most cost-effective for your situation through 2027.

Tip 4: Choose a high feed-in tariff if you frequently feed electricity back into the grid

If you consistently generate more electricity than you consume, choose a supplier with a higher net feed-in tariff. This will help lower your energy bill.

See here who offers the highest feed-in tariff

Here’s why:

Even though we don’t recommend focusing solely on individual costs, if you consistently feed back more electricity than you consume, you should definitely look at the feed-in tariff per kWh. This is significantly higher with some suppliers, meaning you’ll have more left over from your fed-back electricity after offsetting the feed-in costs. 

Especially in 2027, it’s worth checking whether a dynamic electricity contract becomes more attractive compared to a fixed-rate one if you feed a lot of power back into the grid.

How to Compare Energy Plans with Solar Panels

Now that you know what to look for when comparing energy plans with solar panels, you can start using the comparison tool right away. You can find the cheapest option in 3 steps:

Step 1. Enter your details and energy usage.
Indicate your living situation and your estimated annual gas and electricity usage.

Step 2. Indicate how much electricity you feed back into the grid per year You
can find this on your annual bill or energy meter. This is less than your total generation, because you consume some of it yourself. Did you just install solar panels? Then ask the installer for an estimate of the feed-in.

Step 3. Choose the cheapest supplier.
This is the supplier with the lowest annual price. It is always listed at the top of the comparison tool.