Excellent network management
Supply reliability of the electricity grid
In 2022, our customers were without electricity for an average of 21.3 minutes (2021: 20.9 minutes). This rise reflects an increase in medium-voltage grid outages during the hot summer period. At the same time, the average duration of each individual power outage was shorter than in 2021, making the annual outage duration only a little higher compared to 2021. The number of repeat outages in 2022 was 28, partly due to an increase in the number of outages, excavation damage and dormant outages.
- * The average for the Netherlands in 2022 is not yet known.
Supply reliability of the gas grid
Gas outages are relatively uncommon. The main cause of fluctuations in the gas outage duration is ad hoc outages caused by a third party, for example during excavation work, which often leave customers without gas for a long time.
Outage duration of gas grid and causes
- * The average for the Netherlands in 2022 is not yet known.
Access to energy
As a network operator, we believe that energy should be accessible and affordable for everyone. Disconnections happen at the request of the energy supplier. We exercise restraint in disconnecting households that have trouble paying their bills. The unprecedented rise in energy prices led to 1.2 million low-volume consumers becoming at risk of being unable to pay their energy bills in the winter of 2022-2023. Disconnecting consumers as a consequence of the current energy prices, which are making it difficult for some customers to pay their energy bills, is a worrying development. The Dutch government has introduced a number of temporary measures, including the energy price cap, to ensure that fewer people will be unable to pay their energy bills and consequently that we as a network operator receive fewer requests from suppliers to disconnect customers.
We and other parties have agreed not to disconnect customers when we suspect energy poverty. The parties involved in this are the other network operators, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), the Dutch Ministries of Economic Affairs & Climate Policy and Social Affairs & Employment, energy suppliers, the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) and debt counselling agencies. We do everything we can to ensure that an appropriate solution is found for customers dealing with such problems. The municipality of Amsterdam has started a pilot project to come to the aid of vulnerable households. For a period of three months, Liander will provide the municipality with the addresses on the list of households whose energy is to be cut off. This will enable municipal debt counsellors to help these vulnerable households to prevent their debts from multiplying and avoid having their energy cut off.
Disconnections during wintry weather
During extreme winter weather, we take appropriate action to ensure that everyone has access to electricity and heat. In this context, we go further than the law requires. The law states that we must stop disconnecting customers if the temperature in De Bilt (the site of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute) drops below zero for a 48-hour period. Every week, we take a look ahead to determine whether the average temperature will be below zero in any 24-hour period. We do not disconnect anyone during the public holidays in December.