My energyMore and more Belgians are moving abroad during the wet, cold winter months. Leaving your home without an energy contract is not an option, so you will receive an invoice anyway. There are various options to keep this as low as possible. Mijnenergie.be explain.
By Kurt Deman, in collaboration with Mijnenergie 19-01-24, 13:20 Source: Mijnenergie.be
With the current harsh temperatures, wintering in sunny places sounds like music to the ears of many Belgians. More and more fellow countrymen are actually making that dream come true. According to estimates by BNP Paribas Fortis, approximately 200,000 compatriots would have a residence abroad in 2022.
Anyone who goes abroad hopes to reduce the ‘Belgian’ invoices as much as possible during their absence. This also applies to electricity and natural gas costs. Completely shutting off the heating is not a good idea at frosty temperatures. By switching on your central heating boiler, you avoid damage to the pipes and the boiler. Moreover, it is not permitted to leave your home without an energy contract: in that case the grid operator threatens to shut off the meter.
Want to make a bargain on the energy market? Check out the most striking deals during the current sales period.
Vacancy rate
The alternative consists of a vacancy contract. In most cases you do not pay a fixed fee, but a higher price per kilowatt hour consumed. The energy supplier also reduces your advance amount. You will benefit from this option, especially from suppliers with high subscription costs.
Monthly settlement versus advance invoice
A less drastic solution consists of opting for a monthly settlement instead of the formula with advance payment and final settlement. This billing method is very similar to that of your telecom subscription: you pay monthly exactly for what you have used in the past month. This does not happen with the classic system with an advance invoice. The energy supplier then divides your total annual consumption over 12 months and uses the average consumption habits of families with the same profile as a distribution key. These profiles do not take months of absence into account.
The result is that despite your absence, the energy supplier allocates 17.86 percent of your total annual natural gas consumption to the market prices for January. If you have a variable rate and the prices are slightly higher in January, you have unnecessarily paid too much. Although the reverse also applies of course: with lower winter prices compared to summer prices, you are doing just that.
Since this year, monthly settlement is possible with every energy supplier: Find out here whether it is a good solution for you.
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2024-01-19 12:20:55
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