Joining grid control: where is it available and how do you sign up?

Whether you can take part comes down to four things. Run through them before reading on:

1. 1.Postcode and neighbourhood: your address is in an area where the programme runs.
2. 2.Device: you have a home charger, a home battery or a hybrid heat pump.
3. 3.Supplier: your energy supplier takes part in grid control.
4. 4.Compatibility: your device can be steered remotely, sometimes via a smart meter or a software update.

If all four are green, there is a good chance you can join. If one is missing, it may still happen later: grid operators keep expanding the area and the list of suppliers step by step.

It runs in selected neighbourhoods and postcodes in Gelderland, Utrecht, parts of Flevoland and North Brabant. These are areas where the grid is busiest in the evening, usually between 4 pm and 9 pm. For chargers a narrower window is often used, from 5 pm to 9 pm.

If you live in such an area and have a suitable device, you may qualify. If you live just outside it, there is no place for now. The area is growing though: it started with a handful of neighbourhoods and is expanding step by step.

You do not sign up with the grid operator, but with your energy supplier. Not every supplier takes part, and the offer differs per device:

1. 1.EV charger and home battery: here you will find Eneco, Essent, Frank Energie, Vattenfall and Zonneplan, among others.
2. 2.Hybrid heat pump: this currently runs mainly through Greenchoice and Quatt.
3. 3.Worth knowing: whether a supplier fits you depends on your postcode, device and contract. So the list differs per address and still changes regularly.

Signing up itself is not complicated. Broadly, it goes like this:

1. 1.Check your postcode with a participating supplier; there is often a postcode checker on their site.
2. 2.Choose the device you want to let take part: charger, home battery or hybrid heat pump.
3. 3.Ask whether your brand and inverter are supported and whether you need a smart meter.
4. 4.Give your approval through your contract or your supplier's scheme.
5. 5.After that you set nothing yourself: the steering happens automatically in the background.

The programme builds on a small-scale pilot with just over 300 households. After that, about 35,000 households in eligible areas were approached; a few hundred said they were willing to join. That was enough to scale up.

In January 2026 the programme counted more than 2,200 chargers, about 85 home batteries and more than 500 hybrid heat pumps. The ambition heads towards 50,000 to 70,000 participating households and up to 255 megawatts of flexible capacity. Those are goals, not the current total; according to those involved, 255 megawatts compares to the use of a medium-sized city.

One striking gap: chargers are well ahead of home batteries. A battery is a bigger investment, so it follows more slowly. If you already have solar panels and are thinking about a battery, now is the time to watch for steerability.

There is compensation for taking part, paid through your energy supplier. Some providers already mention indicative amounts, but a fixed rate that applies to everyone does not exist yet. How and when you are paid differs per contract.

So do not expect an earner. Most participants join because it takes little effort and helps the grid, with a modest payment as a bonus. Exactly how grid control is paid and arranged, we explain on the page about grid control.