How to set up utilities in Belgium: Water, gas & electricity

Find out how to set up utilities in Belgium and discover the best Belgian gas, electricity, water and telecom companies.

Angelina

7 minute read

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Updated on 19 Sep 2024

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Renting

Unless you want to end up cut off from water and electricity, you shouldn’t forget to arrange the utilities for your new home when moving to Belgium. Luckily, it’s not that hard, even if you’re doing it for the very first time!

These are the 4 common utility bills in Belgium:

• Electricity
• Gas
• Water
• Internet

Are the costs for gas, electricity, water and internet included in your rent? Consider yourself lucky — you don’t have to worry about doing the research and setting up your own utilities.

But you should still clarify the costs with your landlord before signing the contract and figure out if you’re allowed to change your providers in the future. You might be able to find a better deal if you arrange Belgian utilities yourself.

Is your rental contract exclusive of utilities? Look at it from the bright side — you can choose the best utility suppliers for your needs.

Belgium's liberalised energy market is full of choices. You can select any supplier you see fit and change it easily whenever you want. And there’re no cancellation fees to worry about as long as you give a month’s notice to your current provider.

Even better, your new supplier does all the paperwork for you, including cancelling your previous contract and starting the new one. You only need to provide your meter readings and you’re all set!

But let’s focus on arranging your first energy contract.

How to choose an energy supplier in Belgium

We understand that all these choices can be overwhelming when you’ve just arrived in a new country. We recommend that you head to a comparison website to find your energy supplier.

Do you prefer your energy to come from a green source or is the price the decisive factor? Do you know how much kWh you use up in a year? It might help to narrow down your search and find the best offer if you know your preferences and energy consumption.

It’s usually beneficial to get electricity and gas from the same supplier, might you need both in your new home. So-called dual fuel tariffs can save you some money and you’ll only have to deal with one energy bill!

How to set up your first energy contract in Belgium

You have 30 days (45 days in Brussels) to find a new energy supplier from the day you move to your new place. But it’s always better to arrange such things in advance. After all, you need to do some research and find the best offer!

Whenever you move out or move in in Belgium, make sure you and the previous tenant fill in and sign the energy transfer document. In case of a dispute over meter readings, the document is used as evidence.

Overall, setting up your first energy contract in Belgium is pretty straightforward.

Here’s how it looks:

1. Compare your options and choose the best Belgian energy provider that suits your situation.
2. Submit your request directly via the comparison website or the website of the desired supplier. The starting day of your contract should be your move-in date.
3. Upon receiving a confirmation, you might be asked to submit additional information such as bank account details and/or copies of your documents such as your ID card, rental contract and proof of residence.
4. When picking up the keys from your new place, fill in the energy transfer document together with the previous tenant or your landlord. Note down your EAN code and the meter readings, sign the document and make sure the previous tenant or landlord signs it too.
5. Send the meter reading from the day you moved in to your new supplier.

And you’re done! Not that difficult, is it?

EAN code is the 18-figure code associated with your address. Make sure the previous tenant transfers it to you by contacting the local distribution system operator.

Best gas and electricity companies in Belgium

The most popular gas and electricity companies in Belgium are:

• Engie (entire Belgium)
• Luminus (Flanders, Wallonia)
• Eneco (Flanders, Wallonia)
• TotalEnergies (Flanders, Wallonia)
• Mega (entire Belgium)

According to the Greenpeace ranking, the greenest electricity providers in Belgium are:

• Cociter (Wallonia)
• Ecopower (Flanders)
• Wase wind (Flanders)
• Aspiravi Energy (Flanders)
• Trevion (Flanders)
• Bolt (entire Belgium)

Are you facing any issues?

If you encounter a problem or need a consultation, you can contact the gas and electricity market regulator in your region:

• Brussels: BRUGEL
• Flanders: VREG
• Wallonia: CWApE

How to pay your energy bills

The easiest way to pay your utility bill is through automatic payments from your Belgian bank account. That way, you’ll never miss or forget anything! Plus, it will save you time, compared to making a bank transfer each time.

At the end of each year, your energy consumption will be reevaluated. Upon submitting a new meter reading, you’ll be given a refund if you paid more than you consumed, or asked to pay extra if you used too much. You can also use this data to change your contract for the next year and tailor it to your actual consumption.

2. Water companies in Belgium

With water, things are a tad different than with other utilities. Each Belgian region has its own water supplier, so you need to sign up with a local one.

These are the 3 water companies in Belgium:

• Brussels: Vivaqua
• Flanders: De Watergroep
• Wallonia: SWDE (Société Wallonne des eaux)

Your water bill includes the fixed annual charge and variable charge that depends on your consumption. For example, in Brussels you’ll pay:

How to register for a water supplier when you arrive in Belgium

Whether you move in or out, you need to fill in a water transfer document within 15 days before your moving date. Of course, when you arrive in Belgium for the first time, you only have to submit one form.

Let’s take it step by step:

1. Fill in the water transfer form together with the previous tenant or your landlord. Double-check:

• your meter number
• the index (the figures read on your meter)
• the date of the reading
• your bank account number

2. Sign and scan the form and attach copies of identity cards (front and back) of all persons who signed the document.
3. Submit the form online.

If you’re moving to Brussels, you can download and submit the water transfer form via Vivaqua.

We bet setting up the internet is pretty high on your to-do list. How else would you watch your favourite Netflix show?

In Belgium, you’ll find a wide selection of providers offering packages that vary depending on download speed, type of connection and included services.

Just like with other utilities, it’s helpful to understand what kind of user you are and what your consumption is like. If you’re not sure, refer to this table:

General rule of thumb: if you work from home, the average internet speed should be at least 10 Mbps download speed per person.

A good thing to remember: there’s no such thing as too fast internet. And few things are as frustrating as an unstable connection during your Zoom call. But don’t worry if you made a wrong choice — you can always reevaluate your current tariff and Belgian internet providers often offer various deals.

Setting up internet in Belgium

Setting up the internet in Belgium doesn’t require too much effort. Just choose the package that suits your needs and request it online. You might be asked to submit your ID, proof of address, and your bank account number for monthly payments.

Be prepared to pay the one-time telecom activation fee (usually €50) and router cost on top of your fixed monthly fee.

If you’re looking for a super-fast connection, consider fiber optic internet.

Once the contract is set up, you either get a DIY installation kit sent to your mail or a technician comes by to install your router. The fiber installation is always done by a technician.

Best internet providers in Belgium

The most popular internet providers in Belgium are:

• Proximus
• Scarlet (lower-cost subsidiary of Proximus)
• Orange
• Telenet
• EDPnet

Based on the customer reviews, Edpnet is one of the best solutions, with unlimited internet starting at €21.95/month. It’s cheap, reliable and has good customer service.

However, we advise you to look into the different packages of various providers and check with the desired provider what kind of bandwidth they can offer at your address. You can also ask your neighbours if there’s a dominant internet company in your building.

You can also take over the electricity & gas contract from the previous tenant. The process is pretty similar to arranging a contract yourself but saves you the hassle of researching. Just make sure the previous tenant has paid all their bills and signed both copies of the energy transfer document.

You should also contact the current supplier at least a week in advance to transfer the contract to your name. Normally, this can be done online or by phone upon submitting your ID card, such as your residence permit, and bank account number. You might be asked to submit additional documents such as your lease agreement. Within 7 days from your move-in date, submit your meter readings to your energy supplier, so they can give you an accurate first bill.

When it comes to water supply and internet, you usually need to start a new contract yourself, unless provided by the landlord. However, some internet providers do allow taking over internet subscription. In that case, you'll need to download the transfer form from the website of the current provider and send it filled in and signed by you and the transferor, along with copies of both your ID cards. The transfer takes around 3 weeks, so you'd have to arrange it in advance. And, to be honest, it might be faster to start a new contract!

The price you'll pay for utilities will differ per Belgian city and largely depend on the size of your apartment and your consumption. On average, you can expect to pay between €150 – €300 for electricity, water, heating, internet and garbage.

To put it into perspective,

living in a 85m2 apartment in Brussles, you can expect a utility bill of around €238 in total.

Arranging utilities is one of the most important things to remember when settling in your new home in Belgium. Make sure you stay on top of this, and always start preparing in advance!