Some Dutch electricity grid companies are considering introducing an electricity surcharge for peak period usage in an effort to ensure enough capacity remains in the system, the Telegraaf reported on Friday.

The paper said umbrella group Netbeheer Nederland last year asked the ACM consumer watchdog to look the option of a lower charge for off-peak usage. This would enable its members to charge more between 5 pm and 9 pm, when domestic usage reaches a peak.

The consumer watchdog has yet to respond to the plan.

Earlier this week, it emerged that Stedin has again asked its customers to scale back their electricity usage at the end of the day and not to charge electric cars during that period.

Enexis too is now considering an extra charge in an effort to get consumers to change their behaviour, the paper said. The company, which operates in Groningen, Drenthe, Overijssel, Noord-Brabant and Limburg, said on Friday that households may have to go on a waiting list if they apply for a new or more heavyweight grid connection.

Encouraging consumers to use less electricity could mean grid operators need not invest as much in expanding capacity, generating savings of some €30 billion on the total bill. An estimated €200 billion needs to be spent on making the national grid future-proof.

Many homes now have a smart meter, which would make it possible to levy an additional fee, the paper points out.