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Extended protection measures in Brussels

The new ordinance on the organisation of the gas and electricity markets in the Brussels-Capital Region, published in April 2022, introduces extended protection measures for Brussels customers in fuel poverty.

Thus, the principle of automaticity automatically switches customers who meet certain debt conditions to protected status. Sibelga thus temporarily becomes their energy supplier.

The principle of guaranteed supply allows the CPASs to ask Sibelga to supply customers who are in debt or who do not have an energy contract for a period of 12 months, with the possibility of extension.

“As a result of these new measures, Sibelga is supplying some 6,000 additional electricity and gas meters. For our teams, this represented a significant amount of work. Fortunately, part of the process could be automated,” says Olivier Demanet, Head of Customer Management at Sibelga.

In addition, the ordinance provides for the withdrawal within three years of power limiters that were previously installed at the request of a supplier for customers in payment difficulties. 15,461 limiters were removed in 2022, with 7,600 remaining on the network as of 6 February 2023. “As required by the ordinance, we have implemented an information and awareness procedure for customers instead of placing a limiter. Suppliers notify us of customers who are in default of payment and against whom they plan to take legal action. We contact them to explain the situation and inform them about the support measures available to them, including protected client status and the help they can get from the CPAS,” says Olivier Demanet. Over 20,000 such calls were made in 2022.

Facing the energy crisis together

The sudden rise in electricity and gas prices that began in 2021 continued into 2022. Even though the distribution tariffs did not participate in this sudden increase (since they were set for a period of five years by the regulator, in this case for 2020–2024), Sibelga played an active role in managing this crisis.

Sibelga carried out communication activities aimed at Brussels customers to inform them of their rights (in particular via a dedicated section on its website intended for customers with payment difficulties or via participation in the energy days organised by the CPASs) and to help them reduce their consumption (among other things via the Energuide medium, distributed in paper form and available on the web).

In addition, Sibelga lent its expertise to the discussions held by the Brussels authorities to temporarily extend the protection regime (social supply) for residential customers and to provide financial support for VSEs/SMEs.

As the manager of municipal street lighting, we have also implemented measures to reduce the use of street lighting in consultation with the municipal authorities. For example, during the festive season, the illumination period was shortened by 15 days (from 8 December to 8 January instead of 1 December to 15 January) and the illuminations were switched off slightly earlier. As a result, the illumination time was reduced from 380 to 200 hours.

In addition, Sibelga’s central energy purchasing unit has enabled the 116 public authorities that are members for the period 2022–2023 to avoid an increase in their energy bill in 2022 as a result of the rise in wholesale prices. “The energy centre negotiates a fixed price for the year of supply, which is established two to three years before the actual supply, according to a specific method,” explains Stéphane Godfrind, head of the central markets department at Sibelga.

Finally, as a public service company, Sibelga has a duty to set an example and has taken concrete measures to reduce its own energy consumption (see theme 4).

Practical guide for customers with payment difficulties
Que faire en cas de difficultés de paiement ?

Read more about street lighting efficiency measures
Crise énergétique : 7 mesures de sobriété énergétique pour l’éclairage public