Knowledge Centre

What does this entail?

When you start looking for a house, you probably already have a budget in mind. You filter houses by rental price, as it's one of the most determining factors in deciding whether or not to go for a particular property. Sometimes you find your ideal home that slightly exceeds your budget limit. Other times, you find homes in a location that doesn't suit you but does fit your budget. Money is a crucial factor. Then there are the costs of gas, water, and electricity. But what exactly do these costs include? And how are they calculated? Read more about how gas, water, and electricity work here.

The importance of gas, water, electricity

Gas, water, and electricity is a common term when it comes to homes. These words always appear in this order and are also abbreviated to GWL. Sometimes, electricity is referred to as ‘elektra’. You need gas, water, and electricity to meet your basic needs. Gas is needed to create warmth.

Gas runs through pipelines throughout the entire house and is used, among other things, for the fire on the stove, hot water for showering, or heating the room. Gas can be recognized by its specific smell, which helps you identify a gas leak. This can be dangerous, so it's always important to turn off the gas when you're not using it (for example, after cooking).

You need water to drink, shower, wash, clean, do the dishes, cook, brush your teeth, and other personal care activities. Without running water, you would neglect yourself. Lastly, electricity is needed to use various household appliances, such as a washing machine or a television. Especially in the current era we live in, we can hardly do without electrical devices.

Suppliers

Gas, water, and electricity are supplied by different providers. For gas and electricity, there are various energy suppliers, each with its own packages. You can choose from these energy suppliers and sign a contract. You are responsible for choosing an energy supplier. Unlike energy, you do not have a free choice for water suppliers. Water is supplied by one of the ten different water board suppliers, depending on the water board active in your municipality or region.

Costs

When you have your eye on a rental property, there is a fixed monthly rent price associated with it. This can be an exclusive or inclusive rent price. An exclusive rent price does not include gas, water, and electricity, while an inclusive rent price does.

The costs you pay for gas, water, and electricity depend on your living situation and the energy supplier. It's based on how much GWL you actually use. If this is very little, your costs will also be lower, and you can get a partial refund from the landlord. However, there is also a chance that you’ll have to pay extra to the landlord. This happens if you use much more GWL than specified in the contract.

The costs also depend on the type of energy you use, such as the use of green energy or solar panels. Additionally, the size of your home also counts in the calculation of the GWL. Furthermore, the household size can also be determining, for example, the difference between living with two people or six.

With the energy supplier, you sign a contract, which can be for one year, but also for three or five years. Each energy supplier has different proposals and distinguishes itself from others. If you rent a house, the landlord usually has this already arranged. If you still need to find an energy supplier yourself, you can do an energy comparison online. You fill in the details that apply to you, your household, and your home, and a calculation will be made for you.