Network tariffs rise: what does that mean for your bill?

The Flemish energy regulator VREG has raised the distribution network tariffs for electricity and natural gas. As a result, the average household in Flanders will have to pay around 135 euros more per year for their energy bill than in 2024. Why are these prices rising? And how can you soften the blow?

Your energy bill consists of several components. In addition to your actual consumption and government levies, you also pay distribution costs. Electricity and natural gas reach your home or business through the distribution network. The tariffs you pay for this cover the costs incurred by network operator Fluvius to build and maintain the distribution networks. They also cover the transmission costs Fluvius pays to high-voltage network operator Elia for electricity.

How much will your bill increase?

As more and more households switch to electric driving and heating their homes with a heat pump, instead of using natural gas or oil, the electricity network in our country needs to be significantly upgraded. Elia and Fluvius are passing these investment costs on to users. Last year, a household with an average consumption of 3,500 kWh of electricity and 17,000 kWh of gas paid 608 euros in distribution network tariffs. Due to the higher network tariffs, this amount will increase by 135 euros: 120 euros extra for electricity (+33 percent) and 15 euros extra for natural gas (+6 percent). Network tariffs do vary by municipality, but the increases are nationwide. And there's more bad news ahead: these costs are expected to continue rising in the coming years.

Can I save on my bill?

Price increases are never welcome. Fortunately, you can ease the pain with solar panels. By using locally produced electricity (literally from your own roof), you need less electricity from the grid. And you'll immediately see that on your bill!

And do you want the best news? We install solar panels completely for free!

Thanks to our free solar panels, you could have saved up to 350 euros on your energy bill last year, even though the sun shone less than ever in 2024. This year, you'll save even more because you'll also avoid part of those expensive distribution costs.

Are you interested in our free solar panels? Visit Solar panels | EnergyVision