Energy firms do not give enough information about pricing to domestic households with solar panels, the Dutch consumer authority ACM said on Friday.

This makes it difficult for consumers to compare suppliers and find out who will give them the best deal for surplus electricity which they have generated. Proper information is needed so consumers can check their bills and make informed choices, the ACM says.

The ACM told energy firms to get themselves properly organised at the end of last year but progress has still not been made, the government-backed body said.

‘If consumers can make informed choices, this will increase competitive pressure,’ ACM director Anita Vegter is quoted as saying. ‘That is good for pricing, quality and innovation.’

Some 125,000 households sold solar-generated power back to the national grid last year, but the government target is 700,000 by 2020.