The Dutch-speaking socialist party Vooruit wants to make it mandatory for customer services of energy suppliers to be available by telephone or e-mail.
The current legislation in Belgium stipulates that energy suppliers in the country must offer accessible and fair customer service. But in practice, energy supplier websites often refer customers to chatbots, an email address or a questionnaire, making it very difficult to speak to a person. Some even charge extra for customers who want to be reached by telephone.
"For vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and people with limited digital skills, this is too great a barrier," Vooruit's parliamentary leader in the Lower House, Oskar Seuntjens, wrote in a press release seen by Belga News Agency. He noted that a chatbot often cannot help you with complex questions.
"And an email or questionnaire does not provide a quick answer for urgent matters. It becomes really problematic when you realise that half of Belgians have difficulty with digital skills. For that group, an online customer platform is simply not a viable option. Energy suppliers should not abandon those people or charge them extra," Seuntjens said.
He has therefore submitted a bill to ensure energy suppliers are available during office hours, via telephone and email.
"Accessible and efficient customer service is essential to protect consumers. That certainly applies to the energy sector, a sector we all need to heat our homes, cook our food or power a washing machine," said Seuntjens, adding that the measure can also help restore confidence in the energy sector.
