HBE versus ERE: what changed on 1 January 2026?

On 1 January 2026, the ERE system replaced the older HBE system as the basis for the Dutch obligation to green transport. The key difference: HBE counted the energy content of renewable energy delivered, while ERE counts the actual CO₂ reduction across the whole chain. This article sets out the differences, the official timeline and the key terms.

What was HBE?

HBE stands for Hernieuwbare Brandstofeenheid (renewable fuel unit). It was the tradeable unit under the so-called annual obligation: fuel suppliers had to bring a growing share of renewable energy into the Dutch transport market each year, and could demonstrate that with HBEs. One HBE equalled a fixed amount of energy content, regardless of how much CO₂ was actually saved across the full production chain. The system was therefore mainly about volume - how much renewable energy was delivered - not about how much emission that concretely prevented.

What is ERE?

ERE stands for Emissiereductie-eenheid (emission-reduction unit). One ERE equals 1 kg of avoided CO₂ emissions in the chain, compared with a set fossil reference value. Rather than simply counting energy volume, the ERE system counts reduced emissions. That means the same amount of renewable energy delivered doesn’t always yield the same number of units - it depends on how “green” the source was at the moment of delivery. Since 2026, ERE fulfils the new Brandstoftransitieverplichting (BTV, fuel transition obligation), the successor to the annual obligation, and - for the first time - private individuals with home charging can also have EREs registered.

HBE versus ERE: the key differences

Aspect	HBE (until 2026)	ERE (from 2026)
Counts	Energy content of the delivery	CO₂ emission reduction across the whole chain
Fixed yield per kWh	Yes, fixed per energy unit	No, depends each year on the grid’s renewable share
Name of the obligation	Annual obligation	Fuel transition obligation (BTV)
Sectors under obligation	Almost exclusively road transport	Road transport, inland shipping and maritime shipping
Home charging by individuals	Not possible	Possible since 2026, via a registration service provider
Register	REV (Register Energie voor Vervoer)	The same REV, renewed for the ERE system

The official transition timeline

• 1 January 2026 - the fuel transition obligation and the ERE system take effect; HBE stops as the running system for new deliveries.
• Spring 2026 - a transition period in which remaining HBE credits could still be used or sold to settle the obligation for reference year 2025.
• 1 May 2026 - according to the NEa, HBE credits still outstanding at that point were converted into an ERE opening balance at a fixed ratio of 1 HBE to 46 EREs, after which the renewed REV became fully operational.
• Since 2026 - private individuals can, for the first time, officially receive an ERE payment for home charging, exclusively via a registered service provider.
• 1 January 2027 - a further change: only an integrated MID meter inside the charge point will count; external metering setups will no longer qualify.

What happened to saved-up HBE credits?

A common question from anyone who already took part before 2026: were saved HBEs lost? Not automatically, but not without action either. According to the NEa, credits still open on the transition date were converted once into an ERE opening balance, at the fixed ratio of 1 to 46. HBE credits that had already been used or sold to fulfil the 2025 obligation fell outside this conversion - those had already been cashed in under the old system. For most private individuals this is mainly background information: they weren’t yet taking part under HBE and so start with a clean slate under the ERE system.

Why the change? RED III as the driver

The switch from HBE to ERE isn’t a Dutch initiative in isolation - it’s the national implementation of the revised EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED III). That directive asks member states to steer on actual chain-wide CO₂ reduction rather than volume alone, and extends the obligation to sectors that had largely stayed out of scope before, such as inland and maritime shipping. For the Netherlands that meant a fundamentally different calculation method (see also our article on calculating EREs per kWh) and a broader group of obligated parties.

Glossary: HBE, ERE and REV

Term	Meaning
HBE	Hernieuwbare Brandstofeenheid (renewable fuel unit); the unit used before 2026, based on energy content. Replaced on 1 January 2026.
ERE	Emissiereductie-eenheid (emission-reduction unit); the current unit, based on CO₂ reduction. 1 ERE = 1 kg of avoided CO₂ compared with the fossil reference value.
REV	Register Energie voor Vervoer (Register Energy for Transport); the NEa register in which deliveries are recorded and EREs (formerly HBEs) are tracked and traded.
BTV	Brandstoftransitieverplichting (fuel transition obligation); the obligation, since 2026, for fuel suppliers to lower the CO₂ emissions of their fuels, fulfilled using EREs.
NEa	Netherlands Emissions Authority; the regulator that runs and oversees the system and the REV.

What does this mean for you as a home charger?

For a private individual who couldn’t take part before 2026, the history of HBE is mostly background. What matters is that access to a payment for home charging now exists, and that it runs through a registration service provider - as a private individual you cannot register directly with the NEa. Also keep an eye on the 1 January 2027 change: if your charge point doesn’t have an integrated MID meter, it’s worth checking that in good time before external metering setups fall away. Then compare the providers that suit your situation, since commission, payout frequency and contract terms vary between registration service providers.