Good news: energy prices are falling. Energy supplier Essent will lower both its electricity and gas prices by a few cents in the new year, following favorable developments in the energy market. However, according to an Essent spokesperson, households may ‘barely notice’ the decreasing tariffs.
Essent Lowers Electricity and Gas Tariffs #
After years of price hikes and high energy bills, there is finally good news for customers of energy company Essent. Essent will lower the tariffs for gas and electricity starting January 1, 2026, according to an announcement on its website.
The new electricity tariff for variable contracts will be slightly reduced, from €0.29962 per kilowatt-hour to €0.28108 per kilowatt-hour. The gas tariff will see a slightly larger decrease, from €1.32589 per cubic meter to €1.29501 per cubic meter.
According to Essent, the cheaper rates are the result of better procurement strategies, which ‘absorb price fluctuations better,’ and favorable developments in the energy market.
Cheap Gas #
The gas price, in particular, is currently favorable and at its lowest level since May 2025. This is partly due to a significant expansion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, explains gas specialist Jilles van den Beukel to Nu.nl:
Worldwide, LNG capacity is increasing by 50%. That’s really a lot.
Liquefied natural gas is becoming increasingly popular in Europe as European countries have moved away from Russian gas in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since then, European countries have been importing LNG on an ever-larger scale, especially from the United States.
“In a normal world, it’s logical that gas prices would then go down,” says Van den Beukel. However, there is some uncertainty about the unpredictability of U.S. President Trump, who unleashed several trade wars in the past year. “But Trump is capable of strange things,” Van den Beukel added.
Households May ‘Barely Notice’ Lower Tariffs #
While lower gas prices on the energy market should lead to cheaper gas tariffs for consumers, Essent states that households may ‘barely notice’ the decreasing rates.
According to Essent, this is because taxes and government levies are increasing in 2026 and are responsible for about 60% of the total energy bill. A decrease in energy costs therefore has a limited impact on the amount households pay.