The Brussels energy market: like navigating the energy storm in a leaky boat

The Brussels energy market is the ugly duckling in this country, and the situation is becoming untenable. Since the departure of Octa+ and Mega, only two suppliers still active offer free contracts to new customers. There is thus a duopoly and therefore no choice for the Brussels resident. Cieltje Van Achter, N-VA group chair in the Brussels Parliament, questioned Energy Minister Maron about this twice this week and is dismayed by the lack of answers from the minister.

The people of Brussels are now compensating financially for the lack of energy suppliers in Brussels. An average Brussels family pays a good EUR 300 more annually for the energy part of the bill than in Flanders. “And this at a time when energy prices are at their highest level in over a decade and it is therefore worthwhile for consumers to compare suppliers and select the least expensive one. This is no longer possible in the capital. Brussels is navigating the energy storm in a leaky boat,” Cieltje Van Achter says.

“When I then ask Minister Maron what he has done to prevent Octa+ from leaving the Brussels market, as a result of which 17,000 customers are suddenly seeing their energy bill increase by as much as double, I get no answer. Moreover, the minister literally denies the problems in the Brussels energy market. However, many authorities, including its own energy regulator Brugel, have indicated that the extreme protection of defaulters in Brussels has caused suppliers to leave Brussels, among other things. But the minister apparently lives in a different reality. I therefore doubt that his new ordinance, announced yesterday, will change anything about the problem and bring suppliers back to Brussels. In any case, the N-VA will continue to urge the minister from the opposition to reduce the energy bill of the people of Brussels,” Cieltje Van Achter concludes.