Background information

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the US–Israeli attack on Iran on 28 February 2026 caused a sharp spike in global oil and gas prices, placing renewed pressure on household energy bills across the Netherlands. Low-income households, in particular those unable to absorb higher energy costs, were identified as a priority group. On 20 April 2026, the Dutch cabinet sent a letter to parliament, titled Energy shock resilience measures (Acties Weerbaarheid Energieschok), presenting a package of nearly €1 billion in measures alongside the activation of phase 1 of the National oil crisis plan (Landelijk Crisisplan Olie). The Noodfonds Energie is not a new instrument: it had been used in previous years (2023, 2024 and 2025) to assist households with energy bills, but the 2026 allocation is substantially larger. The cabinet's stated intention is to reach significantly more households than in previous rounds.

Content of measure

The government has allocated €195 million in 2026 to the Noodfonds Energie, enabling significantly more households to be reached than in previous years. The fund targets households with low incomes who face difficulty meeting their energy bills. Based on previous rounds (2023–2025), eligibility was linked to a gross income of no more than 200% of the social minimum (up to approximately €3,400 per month for singles and €4,740 for couples, including holiday pay). Whether the same thresholds will apply in 2026 had not been confirmed at the time of announcement; the eligible group is expected to be broader given the larger budget. The responsible ministries are the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (Economische Zaken en Klimaat), and the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth (Klimaat en Groene Groei).

Use of measure

No uptake data available at time of entry.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Does not apply to businesses	People on low incomes

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

No involvement reported.

Views and reactions

Trade Union Confederation FNV interim-chair Dick Koerselman welcomed the rise of allowances but noted that the package underlines the need for the minimum wage and social minimum to be raised structurally. He warned that large groups of people are too close to the poverty threshold, making emergency interventions of this kind necessary. Employer Organisations VNO-NCW and MKB-Nederland broadly supported the measures for businesses but did not comment specifically on the Noodfonds Energie.

Sources

• 20 April 2026: Kabinet maakt bijna een miljard vrij voor economische impact Midden-Oosten (www.rijksoverheid.nl)
• 20 April 2026: Plan kabinet: maatregelen om gevolgen hoge energieprijzen te beperken (www.rijksoverheid.nl)
• 20 April 2026: FNV-reactie op kabinetsplannen energieprijzen (www.fnv.nl)