The Netherlands is one of the countries with the highest gas tax in Europe, surpassed only by Denmark. According to a recent analysis by De Telegraaf [1], the gas tax for an average three-person household rose from 350 euros in 2014 to the current 900 euros - a significant increase felt by millions of homes.

Tom Schlagwein, an energy expert at Overstappen.nl, calls the current price cap an "illusory solution", as there is still a high tax burden despite the subsidies that have been introduced, De Telegraag reports. Interestingly, this tax is included in the maximum price consumers have to pay.

Schlagwein notes that the gas price in countries like Germany and Belgium is almost half that in the Netherlands. He adds that some European countries, such as France, have introduced maximum prices to prevent energy costs from becoming too high for households.

As the price cap expires at the end of this year and gas prices have already fallen in recent weeks, Schlagwein calls for a reduction in the gas tax to keep energy costs affordable for consumers.

Sources:
[1] De Telegraaf (12.05.2023): "Nederlandse gasbelasting een-na-hoogste in Europa: 'Prijsplafond sigaar uit eigen doos'". Accessed 15 May 2023, at 14:00. Available at: https://www.telegraaf.nl/financieel/441021121/nederlandse-gasbelasting-een-na-hoogste-in-europa-prijsplafond-sigaar-uit-eigen-doos