Utility Direct

What Utility Direct does

Utility Direct B.V. is a Netherlands-based utility and home services brokerage founded in 2021 and headquartered in Amsterdam. The company operates as a free intermediary connecting expats and new residents in the Netherlands with utility and service providers across electricity, gas, internet, TV, mobile, water, insurance, banking, moving services, furniture rental, car lease, home security, solar panels, heat pumps, charging stations, and energy labels. Its primary customer segment is foreign nationals relocating to the Netherlands who face language barriers and unfamiliarity with Dutch administrative processes; the platform also serves small businesses seeking connectivity and housing corporations managing tenant onboarding.

The company's core technology is a web-based comparison and brokerage platform accessible at utilitydirect.nl, supplemented by a partner CRM at crm.utilitydirect.nl and a self-service resident portal. The platform aggregates multiple Dutch providers (including Essent, Eneco, Vattenfall, Greenchoice, ENGIE, and others) and brokers sign-ups on behalf of customers. A separate B2B Partnership Programme gives real estate agents, relocation agencies, housing corporations, financial service providers, and other client-facing businesses access to a partnership dashboard and inspection app to refer clients and earn commissions per successful sign-up. The company reports 10,000+ expats served, a 4.9/5 Trustpilot score, and a partnership with hundreds of businesses.

Utility Direct's revenue model is commission-based: the company earns affiliate/referral commissions from utility providers and partner companies for each successful customer sign-up, which allows the service to be offered free of charge to consumers. Partner commissions are paid to B2B referrers on a per-sign-up basis. The company is privately held with no disclosed funding, no parent company, and a small team of approximately 10 employees; no revenue, profit, or ownership figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

Utility Direct

Legal name

Utility Direct B.V.

Website

https://utilitydirect.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Utility Direct is a free Dutch brokerage platform that helps expats and new residents set up home utilities and services — including energy, internet, banking, insurance, and sustainability products — by comparing providers and handling all sign-ups in exchange for affiliate commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Utility Brokerage Services

SIC

Electric & Other Services Combined (4931)

akta.pro primary industry

Auto-Switching & Price Comparison Platforms (EUAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Regulated Natural Gas Utility (LDC) Customer Acquisition & Switching (EUAAADAA)

Keywords

• Utility comparison services
• Home service brokerage
• Expat relocation services
• Energy switching platform
• Utility broker Netherlands

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Commission from Utility Providers: Utility Direct acts as an intermediary/broker between consumers and utility/service providers. The company earns commissions from energy suppliers and other providers for each successful customer sign-up facilitated through its platform. This is the primary revenue model, enabling the service to be offered free of charge to end consumers.
2. Referral Commissions from Business Partners: Partners in the referral ecosystem (real estate agents, relocation companies, etc.) earn commissions for each successful sign-up they refer, with payouts to partners managed by Utility Direct.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Utility Direct is a free intermediary and comparison broker that aggregates Dutch utility and home-service providers and arranges sign-ups on behalf of expats and new residents in the Netherlands. It compares and sets up electricity & gas, internet & TV, mobile plans, water, insurance, Dutch bank accounts, moving services, furniture rental, car lease, home security, energy labels, solar panels, heat pumps, and EV charging stations. The company earns commissions from providers for each successful referral, allowing the service to be offered at no cost to the consumer.

Product overview

Utility Direct is a utility and home services comparison and setup platform operating as a one-stop-shop for new residents and expats in the Netherlands. The core offering consists of a unified service that compares and arranges connections across multiple utility categories: Electricity & Gas, Internet & TV, Mobile Plans, and Water Supply (utilities), alongside Insurances, Dutch Bank Accounts, Moving Services, Furniture Rental, Car Lease, and Home Security (services), and Energy Labels, Solar Panels, Heat Pumps, and Charging Stations (sustainability products). The platform also offers specialized Expat Services as a bundled package targeting new arrivals, Urgent Contracts for fast emergency setups, and a B2B Partnership Program with a CRM portal for business partners. The Water Provider Check tool provides address-based water supplier identification. All services are provided free of charge to customers, with the company earning commissions from utility providers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electricity & Gas Utility comparison and setup service that compares electricity and gas providers to find the best fixed or variable rate deals for customers in the Netherlands, including green energy options.
• Internet & TV Comparison and setup service for internet (DSL, Cable, Fiber-Optic) and television services, including business solutions for small businesses, MKB, and large enterprises.
• Mobile Plans SIM-only mobile plan comparison service covering unlimited plans, limited data plans, eSIM options, 5G connectivity, and business mobile solutions.
• Water Supply Water supply setup service that identifies the customer's regional water provider and handles the connection process for new residents.
• Insurances Insurance comparison and setup service covering home insurance, liability insurance, health insurance, and vehicle insurance through partner providers.
• Dutch Bank Account Banking setup service partnering with bunq and Rabobank to help expats and new residents open Dutch bank accounts, with 5-minute setup options available.
• Moving Services Moving company connection service that matches customers with vetted moving companies for local and long-distance relocations.
• Furniture Rental Furniture rental service designed for expats, offering short-term and flexible furniture options to avoid high upfront purchasing costs.
• Car Lease Car leasing comparison and setup service for personal and business use, offering flexible short-term and long-term lease options through partner providers.
• Home Security Home security system setup and comparison service providing technology solutions for property protection.
• Energy Labels Energy performance assessment service that provides property energy labels required for selling or renting, along with improvement recommendations for individuals and property managers.
• Solar Panels Solar panel consultation, installation, and maintenance service for both residential and commercial properties, including government subsidy guidance.
• Heat Pumps Heat pump and hybrid system installation service offering full heat pumps and hybrid setups with professional evaluation, installation, and ongoing support; includes government subsidy assistance.
• Charging Stations Electric vehicle charging station setup service including consultation, recommendation, and professional installation of home EV chargers.
• Expat Services Comprehensive utility and home services setup package specifically designed for expats and new residents in the Netherlands, offering multilingual support and free assistance.
• Urgent Contracts Emergency utility setup service for electricity, gas, and water with 24-hour contract activation, no deposit options, and penalty avoidance for customers facing disconnection notices.
• Partnership Program B2B partnership platform for real estate agents, relocation agencies, housing corporations, and other businesses to offer utility setup services to their clients, including a self-service portal and commission-based revenue model.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• bunqcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUtility Direct partners with bunq, a modern app-based bank offering innovative banking solutions. bunq's Dutch banking services are recommended to Utility Direct customers for setting up a Dutch bank account, with the partnership offering a 5-minute setup time for accounts. Utility Direct acts as a referral channel driving bunq sign-ups.
• RabobankcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUtility Direct partners with Rabobank, known for its extensive network, excellent customer service, and comprehensive range of financial products. Rabobank is recommended to Utility Direct customers as a trusted Dutch bank option alongside bunq.
• Sales Agents / Real Estate AgentscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRealtors who want to offer added value by including utility setup services for clients purchasing new homes. Partners earn commissions for each successful client sign-up referred to Utility Direct.
• Relocation AgenciescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgencies assisting clients, especially expats, with moving services and looking to simplify the utility registration process. Partners earn commissions for each successful sign-up referred.
• Housing CorporationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrganizations managing residential properties that want to streamline utility setups for their tenants. Partners benefit from Utility Direct's software platform and inspection app to manage tenant onboarding.
• Commercial Real Estate AgentsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial property agents seeking to enhance their service by offering utility setup as part of their package. Earn commissions per successful sign-up.
• Rental Agents / Letting AgentsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgents renting out residential properties who want to simplify utility arrangements for tenants. Partners earn commissions per successful sign-up.
• Financial Service ProvidersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFinancial services companies aiming to add utility management to their range of client solutions. Partners earn commissions per successful sign-up.
• Custodianship ServicesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartners who manage financial affairs for individuals, providing essential support for clients who need utility setup as part of their financial management plan.
• Expat Service ProviderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBusinesses that assist expats with settling in and can benefit from offering utility setup as part of their services, earning commissions per successful sign-up.
• Multiple Energy Providers (e.g., Essent, Eneco, Vattenfall/Nuon, Oxxio, Energiedirect.nl, Pure Energie, Greenchoice, ENGIE, Delta Energie, Frank Energie, Tibber)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUtility Direct compares and partners with a wide range of Dutch energy companies including Essent, Eneco, Vattenfall (formerly Nuon), Greenchoice, and others. The company acts as a broker intermediary earning commissions for each customer sign-up it facilitates to these providers.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CallMePower: Dutch and European energy/utility comparison service operating with a similar affiliate referral model. Direct overlap in the Dutch residential switching customer Utility Direct serves.
• Pricewise: Dutch comparison platform focused on energy, insurance and telecom switching with affiliate-style referral economics. Direct competitor for the same expat and residential switching flows that Utility Direct targets.
• Selectra: Pan-European energy and telecom comparison and switching platform with a dedicated Netherlands site. Comparable model aggregating multiple utility and telecom providers with referral commissions.
• Independer: One of the largest Dutch price-comparison platforms covering energy, insurance, telecom and financial products with a similar multi-vertical comparison and switching model. Operates in the same Netherlands market with overlapping provider partnerships.
• Gaslicht.com: Dutch energy and telecom comparison platform operating on a similar affiliate/brokerage model, helping consumers switch electricity, gas and internet providers. Competes for the same consumer switching traffic.
• Energiewereld.nl: Netherlands-based energy price comparison and switching service. Closely overlaps Utility Direct's core electricity/gas comparison and switching proposition.

Broad incumbents

• Verivox: Germany's leading independent comparison and switching portal for energy, insurance, telecom and finance. Comparable affiliate-led model in a neighboring market and a likely benchmark for cross-border expansion.
• Check24: Germany's largest multi-vertical comparison portal covering insurance, energy, telecom, travel and finance. Useful comparable for an incumbent scale player in the same switching/brokerage model that Utility Direct operates.
• Compare Europe Group: Pan-European operator of price-comparison brands (Verivox, Selectra-family platforms, etc.) in energy and telecom across multiple markets. Provides a public-markets comparable for the category Utility Direct operates in.

Emerging players

• Tibber: Digital-first energy retailer operating in the Netherlands and across Europe with an app-based model that pairs consumption data with dynamic tariffs. Notably, Tibber is also a Utility Direct supply-side partner, making it both a potential competitor and distribution partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/utilitydirect

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Utility Direct