Belgium: Continuous spike in energy and gas prices brings difficulty for people to pay bills

In Belgium, the majority of the residents of the country are facing issues while paying the energy bills as the prices for electricity as well as gas are continuously rising.

As per the figures shared from the Federation of Belgian Electricity and Gas Companies (FEBEG), the increase in the cost of energy and gas is making it hassling for people while paying the bills.

Along with this, Belgium has issued a number of measures in the middle of the sky-high prices, such as VAT decreases and one-time cheques for the homes, but the war in Ukraine has made the prices for energy higher.

Moreover, FEBEG has been maintaining track of how many customers will not be able to pay the energy bills from the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

According to the latest data, between March 15, 2020, to December 15 2021, the energy suppliers set up 1.06 million payment plans that granted customers either a payment Extention or instalment plan that describes a value of €609 million.a

On the other hand, Marc Van den Bosch the director of FEBEG, “We see that the maximum number of consumers who can no longer pay their bills is clearly increasing.”

Furthermore, “Since December last year, energy prices have continued to rise sharply. Many customers who perhaps still had a fixed contract will have been switched to a variable contract. Latest figures will not be available until the coming month, but it is expected that the number of applications for a payment facility will have increased significantly.”