Among Belgians who have never taken out a consumer loan, one in five plans to do so to make their home more energy efficient, according to a survey conducted by Cofidis and published on Friday.
Faced with soaring energy prices and the climate emergency, more and more Belgians are seriously considering improving the energy performance of their homes, the credit company notes.
To finance these renovation works, consumer credit is seen as an attractive option by 20% of those who have never taken out such a loan before, according to the survey, which polled a representative sample of 1,000 Belgians from 9 to 16 August.
The trend is mainly observed among respondents aged under 34.
According to the Cofidis barometer, health, purchasing power and housing represent the three main concerns of Belgians. More than a third of respondents (35%) said their purchasing power had deteriorated, mainly due to the cost of food, energy and transport.
Two-thirds did not think the situation would improve over the next five years; 27% acknowledged that they had to be very careful with their expenses to make ends meet and 9% regularly ended the month in the red.
The purchase of new clothes, spending on leisure activities and energy consumption are three items on which Belgians save money, according to the Cofidis barometer. They also use postponing projects, such as works, holidays and events, as a way to deal with the crisis.
