Gross versus net ERE earnings: how to read an offer

Short answer: gross is the market value of your EREs before anything is deducted; net is the amount that actually lands in your account after commission or a fixed fee, and any corrections, have been applied. At a charging volume of 4,000 kWh a year and the current price of €0.31 per ERE (as of 7 September 2026), that difference quickly adds up to several tens of euros a year, depending on your provider’s earnings model. This article walks through, step by step, how to get from gross to net.

The steps from gross to net

Every ERE provider’s offer runs through essentially the same steps, even if providers don’t always label them this way:

1. Charged volume - how many kWh you charged at home in a year.
2. Converted to EREs - the volume × the statutory factor of 0.33269 ERE per kWh.
3. Gross market value - the number of EREs × the current market price per ERE.
4. Eligible volume - not every kWh is necessarily verifiable or eligible; in practice this can be lower than your total consumption.
5. Commission or fixed fee - the share the provider withholds or charges.
6. Corrections - some terms allow a reserve until annual verification is complete.
7. Net payout - what you’re left with in the end.

Worked example at 4,000 kWh a year

Step	Calculation	Result
Charged volume (assumption)	-	4,000 kWh
Converted to EREs	4,000 × 0.33269	1,330.76 ERE
Gross market value	1,330.76 × €0.31	€412.54
Eligible volume	Assumed 100% verifiable	4,000 kWh
Net at 15% commission	€412.54 × (1 − 0.15)	€350.66
Net at €79.99/year fixed fee	€412.54 − €79.99	€332.55
Corrections	Not applied in this example	n/a here

At this volume, a 15% commission model, comparable to Laadbeloning’s or Stekker’s rate, nets around €18 more than a fixed annual fee of €79.99, such as Groen-laden.nl charges. That flips at higher volumes; see the article on fixed fees versus commission for the break-even point.

Note: the calculator and comparison table elsewhere on this site use a simplified, stable working price of €0.12/kWh rather than the current, fluctuating market price. Results there can therefore differ slightly from this worked example, which deliberately uses the current price.

Why “commission” isn’t always the whole deduction

A published commission percentage doesn’t always tell the whole story. LaadCash, for example, quotes a commission that starts at 17% in year one and then falls by 0.5 percentage points a year to 13%, but explicitly states that actual chain and platform costs, plus a share of acquisition costs (capped at €3,000 a year across the pool), come on top of that. The headline rate isn’t the total deduction. For any offer, ask explicitly whether the stated percentage covers everything, or whether further costs apply.

Fixed price or guaranteed minimum: other routes from gross to net

Not every provider works with commission or a fixed annual fee. 0-CO2, for instance, guarantees a fixed net price of €0.13 per kWh (2026) plus €9.99 in administration costs per year, which largely removes the market-price step from the worked example above. Vattenfall withholds 25%, but guarantees a minimum of €0.05 per accepted kWh for 2026, regardless of how the market price moves. Constructions like these need a slightly different calculation from the standard example above, but the principle, gross minus deduction equals net, stays the same.

Corrections and reserves

Not every offer is final straight away. LaadBalans’s terms, for example, allow a reserve of up to 25% pending annual verification - public sources on this point still disagree with each other, so it’s worth confirming directly with the provider. A reserve like that means the figure you see initially can still be adjusted later. So don’t just ask about the commission or fee; ask whether, and how, corrections and reserves are applied, and when you’ll see the final, verified outcome.

How to check an offer yourself

• Ask whether the stated percentage or amount is the full deduction, or whether further costs come on top.
• Check whether a guarantee applies (a fixed price or minimum amount per kWh) that protects you against a falling market price.
• Ask about correction and reserve clauses and when they’re settled.
• Look at the payout frequency - quarterly reaches your account sooner, net, than annual or after-sale payouts.
• Check the contract term and any lock-in: Inboekdienst.nl, for example, charges a relatively low commission of 12%, but with a 24-month lock-in instead of the usual 12 - a low commission can hide a longer commitment.
• Run the gross-to-net example above with your own charging volume, rather than relying on the headline rate alone.

Summary

Gross is the market value before deductions; net is what you actually receive. The difference lies in the commission or fee, any extra costs on top of the headline rate, and possible corrections. Work through the full gross-to-net path for any offer, rather than going by one percentage or amount alone. All figures in this article are indicative and based on the price as of 7 September 2026 - your actual earnings depend on your own consumption, the current market price and your chosen provider’s terms.