Frequently asked questions

The higher profit is due mainly to trading activities and not higher consumer prices. In the last quarter the consumer prices were actually lower than in the previous year.

Nuon does not simply supply energy to customers; it does other things as well. For example, Nuon is active on the international energy market. This is influenced strongly by the oil prices, which has risen sharply. The contracts that Nuon concludes with commercial parties and raw material suppliers have now acquired greater value too. Nuon has to record part of that rise in value as profit, even if those contracts have not yet ended.

Furthermore, those contracts can also change in value during their term. Any such changes are reflected in the profit, which depends mainly on the trading activities.

The prices are based on purchase prices on the international energy markets. If the oil price rises, the purchase prices rise too. Nuon incorporates those price rises in its consumer prices only later.

It also happens the other way round; last year Nuon reduced its prices because the purchase prices on the international market had fallen in the previous period.

Nuon publishes reduced energy prices

Consequently, Nuon is always looking to offer attractive prices. All the consumer tariffs are reviewed by the regulator, the Office of Energy Regulation (NMa).

The profit from trading activities, which rose sharply this quarter, is included in the total profit. Most of it relates to ongoing contracts, of which we include the changes in value up to 30 June in the second quarter profit. This therefore has nothing to do with the purchase prices on which the tariffs are based.

Nuon has various contracts, with competitive prices. For example, there are fixed-price contracts, green power contracts and contracts with special conditions and a lower tariff.