Switching ERE provider: a step-by-step plan without double registration

Switching to a different ERE provider is possible, but not just at any moment: you’re usually registered with one provider at a time, and a contract typically runs per calendar year. This step-by-step plan shows how to switch without charging sessions being submitted twice or not counted at all.

Why you can’t just switch mid-contract

An ERE provider files your charging data with the NEa on your behalf. That can only happen through one party at a time: the same charging session must not be registered by two providers. Contracts typically run per calendar year, and switching is usually only possible from a new calendar year - the exact notice period varies by provider and is set out in the terms. Some providers also apply a longer lock-in: Inboekdienst.nl, for example, explicitly states a 24-month lock-in, compared with 12 months at most other providers.

Can you switch mid-year too?

Sometimes, yes. If your current contract states no lock-in and the notice period allows it, you can in principle cancel mid-year too - most providers state no lock-in. With a provider that applies an explicit lock-in, such as the 24 months at Inboekdienst.nl, it works differently: you’re in principle committed until the lock-in period has passed, even if you’re unhappy with the service. If a provider unilaterally changes its terms, for example the commission or the payout frequency, that can in some cases be an extra reason to ask about your cancellation options. If you’re unsure, ask your current provider in writing whether cancelling mid-term is possible and on what conditions - don’t rely only on what you remember from when you signed up.

Step-by-step plan: from cancelling to new registration

1. Check your current contract. Look at the contract term, notice period and whether a lock-in applies. Most providers use 12 months; a few use longer.
2. Compare and choose a new provider. Don’t look only at the commission - also compare payout frequency, contract term and any exclusivity requirements, such as a mandatory platform or app.
3. Cancel in good time and in writing with your current provider, within the applicable notice period and preferably well ahead of the calendar year-end.
4. Ask for explicit confirmation of disconnection. Your current provider should confirm that your charge point or connection is no longer being registered on their behalf, before the new provider starts.
5. Register with the new provider and supply the requested details: typically your charge point brand, meter information, connection details and, for business use, company registration details.
6. Confirm the transition date. Agree concretely from which date the new provider starts registering your sessions, so there’s no gap or overlap.
7. Keep confirmations from both providers. That gives you evidence if any ambiguity arises later about who registered which period.

Questions for your current provider

• What is the exact notice period, and by what date must I cancel for the current calendar year?
• Does a lock-in or penalty clause apply to my contract?
• Will outstanding charging sessions from this year still be paid out in full, and when?
• Will you confirm in writing when my charge point or connection has been disconnected?

Questions for your new provider

• From which date can you actually start registering my charge point?
• Do I need to wait for a new calendar year, or can the switch start sooner?
• What details and documents do you need to register me?
• How do you prevent a session being registered twice if my old provider hasn’t fully disconnected yet?
• What are your commission, payout frequency and contract term, compared with my current provider?

What happens to sessions from the transition year?

Charging sessions registered before the switch date belong to the old provider; sessions after it belong to the new one. In practice this runs most smoothly when the switch coincides with the calendar year-end, since most contracts already run on that cycle anyway. If you switch mid-year, explicitly ask both providers how they handle sessions around the transition date - otherwise part of your charging volume risks not being counted by either provider.

If the handover goes wrong: what can you do?

If the handover doesn’t run smoothly - for example because your old provider doesn’t respond to your cancellation, or the new provider already appears to be registering sessions before the old one has disconnected - contact both parties in writing and ask for a concrete date by which the handover will be complete. Keep emails, confirmations and exports of your charging sessions; that’s your evidence if it later becomes unclear which provider registered a given period. If the situation stays unclear, report this explicitly to both providers before taking any further steps, and hold off supplying new data to the new provider until the old one has confirmed in writing that the connection has been disconnected.

Checklist at a glance

When	Action	With whom
Now	Check contract and notice period	Current provider
Well before the notice deadline	Compare and choose a new provider	Comparison / new provider
Before the deadline	Cancel in writing	Current provider
After cancelling	Receive confirmation of disconnection	Current provider
At the switch	Register and supply details	New provider
Around the transition date	Agree from when registration starts	Both providers

Always check the current terms and notice period with your own provider - these can differ from the general guidance in this article by provider and by date. If you’re unsure about your situation, compare providers side by side before you cancel.