Netbalans: help the grid in the Netherlands (pilot)

In parts of the Netherlands the power grid gets very busy, especially on weekday evenings. With Netbalans you help spread that load. Netbalans is the name in the Easee app of the Easee Pilot Grid Service, a pilot run by Easee.

What is Netbalans?

Netbalans is a pilot in which charging on your Easee charger is briefly paused when the grid is busy. When the grid is under pressure, grid operators can ask for less power to be used for a short time. Easee then pauses charging on participating chargers. This lowers demand at peak moments and keeps the grid stable.

How does it work?

When the grid is busy, the grid operator asks for less power to be used for a short time.
Charging on your Easee charger is then briefly paused: usually up to 1 hour, at most 2 hours. This mainly happens on weekday evenings. Charging then resumes automatically.
Your charging session is always completed. You plug in as you always do; Netbalans optimises charging capacity in the background.
Pausing can happen from the moment you take part.

Who can take part?

The pilot is for Easee customers with an Easee charger at a home with a registered installation address in the Netherlands, where Easee is set as the operator in the Easee app. This applies to all Easee chargers. When you sign up, we also check that your address is eligible for the pilot.

How to take part

Make sure you have the latest version of the Easee app.
Check that your address is filled in and that the country in your profile is set to the Netherlands.
Open Netbalans from the button in the email or in the app.
Read the explanation and tap Participate. By doing so you agree to the Netherlands Pilot Grid Service Terms. Prefer not to? Choose Not interested.
We check your address. If it is eligible, you will see Netbalans enabled.

Open the Easee app

What’s in it for me?

Taking part is free and there is no payment in this pilot. You help the grid and you get exclusive access to future features. Easee may attach a benefit to the service in the future; if so, we will let you know separately.

What happens to my data?

For Netbalans we use data such as your contact details, the charging and consumption data from your charger and data about your participation. We share this as needed with our partners and with grid operators to run Netbalans and verify performance. You give your consent for this by accepting the terms. All the details are in the terms. You can read more about how we handle personal data in the Easee privacy policy.

Stopping

You can stop at any time and withdraw your consent. Open Netbalans in the app, tap the three dots and choose Deactivate Netbalans. Confirm with Yes at “Disable Netbalans?”.

Your feedback matters

Thank you for helping keep the Dutch power grid in balance. A minute of feedback helps us make this work better for you. The form asks about your overall experience, how clear it was what you signed up for, whether your car was charged when you needed it, whether you noticed your charging being affected, and whether you felt in control. We also ask why you take part, what works well and what could be better. Your email address is optional.

Give your feedback

FAQ

Will my car still be fully charged?
Yes. Charging resumes automatically and your charging session is always completed. A pause usually lasts up to 1 hour.

Can I charge during a pause anyway?
Yes. If your plans change and you need to charge without interruption, tap the Play button in the app to charge at full speed immediately.

How often will my charging be paused?
That depends on how busy the grid is. It can happen from the moment you take part.

Do I need to change my energy contract or supplier?
No. Your contract stays as it is.

I can’t see Netbalans in the app.

Update the Easee app.
Check that your address is filled in (Location > Settings > About > Address).
Check that your profile country is set to the Netherlands (menu > profile > account > country).
Check that Easee is set as the operator for your charger.
Fully close and reopen the app.

I see “Incompatible site – Your site isn’t eligible for Easee Netbalans just yet”.
In this pilot Netbalans is not yet available for all locations. We’ll let you know as soon as your site becomes eligible.

Is this the same as setting a charging schedule?
No. With Netbalans you don’t set anything yourself. If you want smart charging of your own, see Schedule & Smart charging.