According to the CREG, Belgians do not benefit from the cheapest energy deals!

According to a study by the CREG, households that change energy supplier do not benefit from the most competitive deals on the market. What is the reason for this?

On 17 December 2015, the Commission de Régulation de l’Electricité et du Gaz (CREG) gas and electricity regulatory commission published on its website a study on the product portfolios of different active suppliers in the Belgian energy market. The findings are conclusive: if the annual switching rate is higher than the average for Europe, households that opt for an alternative energy supplier do not subscribe to the cheapest energy deals. Therefore, the CREG calls consumers to turn to a certified price comparison website to compare and learn more.

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The study focused on electricity and gas products whose rate cards are published each month by all active providers in Belgium. These rate cards are accessible to small and medium-sized consumers (less than 50,000 kWh per year for electricity and less than 100,000 kWh per year for gas). The results of this study also concern: households, the self-employed and SMEs. For the moment, no tool is available to large consumers to make comparisons. In this regard, Wikipower has launched its contract management service for professionals.

A minority has competitive rates

The CREG specifies that only 3% of households benefit from an electricity supply product from the top 10 on the market. However, 63% have a deal that belongs to the 10 most expensive products on the market. For the self-employed and SMEs, these shares are 9% and 69% respectively.

Regarding gas, the percentage of households benefiting from a product in the top 10 is 5%. Again, 44% have a deal that belongs to the 10 most expensive products on the market. For the self-employed and SMEs, these shares are 17% and 58% respectively.

Explanations considered