New heat act 2026: what changes under the collective heat act
The term “new heat act” is appearing more frequently in discussions about district heating, heat networks and the energy transition. This is not surprising. After years of debate, the collective heat act (WCW) has been adopted by the Dutch senate. This brings more clarity on who is in control, how tariffs are determined and what this means for residents, property owners and organisations that develop and manage heat networks.
In this article, we explain the new heat act from multiple perspectives. Not only what has been decided, but especially what it means in practice.
What is the new heat act exactly?
The collective heat act replaces the current heat act and aims to accelerate and better organise the transition to collective heating systems such as district heating. The core of the law is increased public control over heat networks. Municipalities and provinces will play a larger role in governance and responsibility.
This is intended to create more predictability in the development of heat networks and better protection for consumers.
Public control: heat companies largely in public ownership
One of the key elements is ownership. Under the WCW, heat companies must be at least 50 percent publicly owned, for example by municipalities or provinces. This shifts decision-making and policy around heat networks more towards government control.
From the perspective of the energy transition, this makes sense. Heat networks require long-term investments, have a significant societal impact and require decisions that are not only financial, but also strategic and socially responsible.
For market parties, this means that collaboration with public stakeholders becomes even more important, including clear agreements on investments, operations, expansion and the use of local energy sources.
Tariffs: less dependent on gas prices
Another major change concerns the tariff structure. Heat tariffs will be based on the actual costs of construction and maintenance, rather than being linked to gas prices. This makes tariffs more transparent and predictable.
For end users, this is important, especially given ongoing discussions about the affordability of district heating. For property owners and housing associations, it means more stable energy costs, making long-term planning easier.
What does this mean for municipalities and area development?
With the new heat act, the role of municipalities shifts from facilitating to directing. Municipalities can develop heat networks themselves or participate in them, which can accelerate area development, provided that the right data, monitoring and process agreements are in place.
This requires energy data solutions that provide insight into performance, losses and energy sources, not only for reporting purposes, but also for effective control and optimisation.
From legislation to execution: why service management and data are becoming more important
Legislation provides direction, but execution determines success. In daily operations, heat networks revolve around reliability, comfort and predictable costs. This requires control over operations, faults and performance. Monitoring and service management therefore become essential components in this new phase.
Read more about data-driven service management in our blog:
Data-driven service management of district heating networks
What does this mean for heat companies and private parties?
The law allows for existing private heat companies to be acquired in order to scale up public heat networks more quickly. This raises questions about continuity, transition processes and customer impact.
Organisations active in the heat sector should prepare scenarios. What happens if ownership changes, how do processes continue and what is required to ensure stable service delivery?
What does this mean for end users and property owners?
For residents, the focus is on affordability, reliability and transparency. The WCW aims to improve all three.
For property owners, the need is mainly for data insight, including consumption, peak demand, faults and cost allocation. This requires reliable measurement data, reporting and monitoring.
Why this matters now
The heat transition requires acceleration, but also trust. Legislation can support this, but it also requires preparation. Think of data quality, metering infrastructure, process agreements and communication.
Read more about Aurum’s perspective in the press release on the heat network platform:
The heat network platform
A quick scan or demo of your current situation can help you quickly determine where you stand and what is needed.
FAQ: new heat act and collective heat act
What is the new heat act?
The collective heat act, which replaces the current heat act.
Has the new heat act been adopted?
Yes, the WCW has been approved by the Dutch senate.
What changes regarding ownership of heat companies?
Heat companies must be at least 50 percent publicly owned.
Will heat become cheaper under the WCW?
Tariffs will be based on actual costs, leading to more predictability.
What does this mean for municipalities?
More control over the development and governance of heat networks.
What does this mean for property owners?
A greater need for energy insights and control over collective costs.