The price of the social electricity tariff will increase by 22% this month. This is bad news for people who are struggling financially and CPAS, as it will have to pay the difference for consumers who can’t afford their electricity bills. The Social Integration Minister Denis Ducarne is giving CPAS 3.7 million euros to help cover this, the Het Nieuwsblad reported on Saturday.
The Gas and Electricity Regulation Commission (Creg) says the increase in the social tariff aligns with price increases across the board.
“We do calculations to determine the cheapest tariff every six months, based on market prices. If market prices increase, the social tariff will increase too”, says Creg’s Annemarie De Vreese. Electricity prices on the wholesale markets increased dramatically in 2018.
Minister Denis Ducarne (MR) has put 3.7 million euros to one side as Flemish towns and communes have expressed concerns about CPAS’ new financial burden.
The Brussels Times
