Press - Media 2009

Brussels, December 15, 2009. CREG, the regulator for the electricity and gas markets in Belgium, published today the new tariffs for 2010 for the federal levy on electricity and natural gas. For electricity, an increase by not less than 55% is announced, from 2,6 to 4,1€/MWh. For natural gas, a small decrease is expected.

Brussels, 13 October 2009. Keeping open the nuclear plants offered a wide range of possibilities. Today, the federal government misses however a unique opportunity to lower the prices for households AND for industrial consumers, and to finance the offshore wind farms in an alternative way. Febeliec, the federation of industrial energy consumers, therefore regrets that the actual agreement in no way contributes to a better functioning of the Belgian energy market.

The gas and electricity prices have increased considerably in 2008. This is shown in a recent enquiry by Febeliec, the federation of the industrial energy consumers, amongst its members. Logical? Maybe it is, the prices for primary fuels have considerable risen too. Or maybe it is not? Because then the prices would have to start decreasing, but that does not seem to be going to happen soon.

Febeliec, the federation of industrial electricity consumers, asks the federal government to lay on a tax for the electricity producers who charge their freely obtained emission rights on to the companies. The revenue of this tax should be used to compensate the duped companies. This could be done by means of financing initiatives about sustainable energy by using these new revenues. It makes it possible to lower the green taxes which companies pay for at the moment, thus lowering their final energy bill as well. For Febeliec, this is a transitory measure waiting for a correct auctioning of emission rights and waiting for a real competitive electricity market. The proposal was approved of today during the General Council of the CREG, the regulator of the electricity market.