While the days of extremely high energy prices are mostly over, it remains important to check whether you were entitled to Belgium's basic energy package and if so, whether you have already received the €588 premium.
To alleviate the high energy bills for households, the Federal Government provided a bonus for the five months from November 2022 to March 2023. This amounted to €61/month for electricity and €135/month for gas. In total, the allowance amounts to €305 for electricity and €675 for gas.
This compensation was split into two basic packages: the first included the compensation for the first two months (November and December 2022) and has now been factored into household energy bills.
The second basic package, for the last three months (January to March 2023), concerns €183 for electricity and €405 for gas – good for a total premium of €588.
For most households, this should also have been settled automatically as the Federal Government automatically granted the premium to every household with a variable contract for electricity and/or gas, or a permanent contract that was concluded or renewed after 30 September 2022. (Those who benefit from the social rate are not eligible for the basic package, as their costs are already reduced.)
Importantly, some 200,000 households are connected to a collective gas installation (those living in a block of flats, for example) and are also entitled to the basic gas package. But these settlements are not automatic: the request must be made by the person who concluded the gas contract.
How can I check if I have received the premium?
The vast majority of those entitled to the second basic package have already received that premium automatically. In principle, energy suppliers deducted the amount from customer bills, or the premium was paid directly into customer bank accounts.
Premiums were handled by whichever provider you had on 31 December 2022. If you have since changed energy supplier, your former energy supplier remains responsible for paying the premium.
To check whether or not you have received the amount, it is best to first check the electricity bills for March, April and May. In principle, your supplier has settled the premium on one of those bills, but it is also possible that the energy supplier deposited the amount directly into your bank account.
If you think you are eligible for the energy premium but you cannot find it on the energy bills and you have not received any payment, you can apply via the Economy Ministry website for another week; the deadline is 31 July 2023.
How to apply?
There are two possible procedures to submit the application for the basic package. The easiest and recommended procedure is to submit an online application via the page about the basic package on the website of the Economy Ministry.
An application by e-mail or by post is also possible, but that will require some extra processing time. The application form can be found on the website of the Economy Ministry and should be sent by e-mail to gazelek2023@economie.fgov.be or by post to GazElek2023, PB 30073, 1000 Brussels.
