Negative electricity price
For households with a dynamic energy contract. So you no longer pay to feed in.
How it works
With a dynamic contract your electricity price changes every quarter-hour. When the price for feeding in is negative, you pay to deliver power to the grid. In those quarter-hours we dim your solar panels, and as soon as the price is positive again, we switch them back to full power.
We use the price that applies to you: including your energy supplier’s surcharge, taxes and net metering. Nothing changes on your installation, you keep your warranty, and it’s free.
Net metering or not
In the app you set which prices apply to you.
In 2026, and the default in the app
below −11 ct
When the bare market price drops below −11 cents per kWh, we dim your panels. You don’t need to set this yourself.
For every kWh you feed in, you get back the energy tax and VAT you pay on a kWh you use: about 11 cents together. So your compensation only turns negative when the market price drops below about −11 cents. That doesn’t happen often yet.
Choose prices including tax in the app settings (the default in 2026)
From 2027
below 0 ct
When the bare market price drops below 0 cents per kWh, we dim your panels. We take care of that too.
Net metering ends. You no longer get the tax back on feed-in, but you still pay it on what you use. Every negative market price is then negative for you too, and that’s around 350 hours a year.
Choose prices excluding tax in the app settings (the default in 2027)
Do you feed in more than you use over the year? Then the extra already falls outside net metering today. For that part the bare market price plus your supplier’s surcharge applies, and it has already been negative for more than 350 hours in 2026.
Without net metering, drawing power costs about 11 cents per kWh more than you get for feeding in. When the market price drops below zero, you pay for both.
€ 30–50
saved per year by dimming at negative prices
| Feeding in | you pay 5 ct per kWhthe bare market price |
|---|---|
| Using | you pay 6 ct per kWh−5 ct plus 11 ct tax |
If your panels switch off completely, whatever you use comes from the grid, and that costs money too. With the Zonnedimmer dongle we read your smart meter live and dim exactly as much as you feed in. What you use at home, you simply generate yourself.
About the dongle
Your settings
Choose the price below which we automatically dim your installation. The app uses the prices of your own energy supplier.
Choose how far we dim. Leave part of it on and you generate your own power for what you use at home.
With the dongle you choose the “Minimise feed-in” mode: we then dim no more than you feed in. That works with most brands, not yet with Enphase and Huawei.
Frequently asked questions
You sign up online and connect your inverter, which takes a few minutes. Then you switch on dimming at negative prices in the app settings. How signing up works
No. Zonnedimmer works fully online, through the cloud of your inverter manufacturer. We have agreements with the manufacturers and control your installation according to their guidelines. So you keep your warranty and support.
Nothing. The Zonnedimmer app is free for private users and there are no monthly costs.
If your feed-in falls under net metering, your price is only negative for a few hours a year in 2026. You then get the tax back on every kWh you feed in.
Do you feed in more than you use over the year? Then that extra part falls outside net metering. Without net metering the bare market price applies, and it has already been negative for more than 350 hours in 2026.
From 1 January 2027 net metering ends, and everyone with a dynamic contract pays the bare market price plus the supplier’s surcharge. Your price is then negative far more often. What it earns
Yes, with the Zonnedimmer dongle. You plug it into the P1 port of your smart meter. That way we see live what you use and feed in, and dim only the power you don’t use yourself. This doesn’t work with Enphase and Huawei yet. About the dongle
Dimming at negative prices is only for dynamic contracts. With a fixed price, almost all energy suppliers still pay a (very low) net feed-in compensation from 1 January 2027, so you don’t need to dim because of negative returns. If you live in one of the areas selected by Enexis, you can join dimming for your grid operator instead. Dimming for your grid operator
Need help?
Most questions are a couple of clicks away. If you get stuck, support takes it from there.
Go to supportNot signed up yet? Create an account