Podcast Summary: Les Clés – Pourquoi l'électricité est-elle si chère en Belgique ?

• Host: Arnaud Ruyssen (RTBF)
• Date: December 1, 2025
• Guest: Maxime Van de Weyer (Journalist, L’Echo)
• Notable contributors: Julie Frère (Test-Achat), Clarisse Ramakers (DG, Agoria Wallonie)

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of Les Clés examines why electricity is so expensive for Belgian consumers and businesses, unpacks the composition of electricity bills, assesses the impact of taxes and network costs, and explores the implications of the ongoing energy transition and policy decisions. The discussion aims to clarify the complexity of the issue, which affects both household budgets and the long-term industrial competitiveness of Belgium.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Deconstructing the Electricity Bill in Belgium

[00:54 – 05:49]

• Only 36% of the price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) covers the actual electricity consumed; the remaining 64% goes to network costs (transport & distribution), taxes, and various surcharges.
• Network Costs: Funding the transformation from a centralized to a decentralized (renewable-heavy) energy grid is expensive. Numerous small producers (like home solar panels) require network upgrades and balancing — costs the consumer now bears.
• Taxes & Surcharges:
  • Multiple overlapping taxes: VAT (currently 6%), regional network connection charges, fees for municipalities (e.g., using roads for power lines), and green energy surcharges.
  • Critique: Electricity bills are “cluttered” with fiscal charges, lacking transparency, and, in effect, becoming a vehicle for public finance rather than just energy payment.
  • Notable Quote – Julie Frère (Test-Achat), [04:22]:
    « Ma facture d'électricité n'est pas une feuille d'impôt. »
    (“My electricity bill is not meant to be a tax form.”)
  • Electricity is taxed at ~€100/MWh vs. gas at ~€17/MWh in Wallonia, creating a stark gap for consumers.

2. Belgium in the European Context

[05:22 – 06:36]

• Belgium has one of Europe’s highest household electricity prices (after Germany), but natural gas prices are mid-range.
• This creates a paradox that slows electrification: companies and households are discouraged from switching away from fossil fuels (like gas heating), undermining climate goals.

3. Impact of the Transition on Bills: Why Now Is So Painful

[06:17 – 13:39]

• Maxime Van de Weyer: Most of the cost increase is linked to network investments:
  • Belgium is moving from few large (mostly fossil/nuclear) plants to many renewable generators, requiring €10 billion of upgrades (2024–2028, according to Elia).
  • “Nous vivons aujourd’hui un choc tarifaire” (“We are living through a price shock now.”) [09:53]
• Long-Term Promise: Once these investments are amortized and renewables fully deployed, the “system cost” of electricity could decrease, but in the short/medium term, the transition is expensive.
• External Shocks: Covid-19, the war in Ukraine, and rising material prices have further increased network investment costs unexpectedly.
• Paradox for Households:
  • Electrification (e.g., installing heat pumps) is advocated, but electricity remains so expensive compared to gas that it’s often not economical for consumers to switch.
  • Notable Quote – Host summarizing [12:37]:
    “C’est paradoxal, c’est parce qu’on est en train de passer à un modèle décarboné qu’on paye plus cher son électricité, mais en même temps ça décourage ceux qui, dans les particuliers, veulent aussi faire des efforts de décarbonation.”

4. The Federal "Tax Shift": What Will Change?

[13:39 – 16:17]

• The government’s tax shift involves raising taxes on gas while gradually lowering those on electricity.
• According to Professor Ruben Batens (via L’Echo), by 2029, this would mean annual bills increase by €45 for gas and decrease by €34 for electricity — positive yet limited relief.
• The real aim: gradually reverse the price gap to favor electrification.
• Flexibility Encouraged: New policies will push households to consume electricity during low-demand/overproduction periods (peak vs. off-peak pricing), but these require technical literacy and often significant up-front investment.
• Notable Policy Feature:
  • Dynamic contracts – Real-time market-based pricing contracts for households, but these remain risky and complex for most.

5. Social & Economic Barriers

[16:58 – 17:33]

• The most advantageous solutions (heat pumps, batteries, solar) require substantial upfront investment, meaning lower-income and many renters are excluded from benefiting, exacerbating inequality.

6. Impact on Businesses & Economic Competitiveness

[17:33 – 25:48]

• Energy as a Strategic Cost:
  • Industries (esp. heavy users) find electricity costs can surpass labor costs, impacting international competitiveness.
  • Notable Quote – Clarisse Ramakers (Agoria) [17:56]:
    “Ce qu’il faut surtout regarder, c’est comment les prix de l’énergie évoluent dans des continents concurrents... les coûts de l’énergie sont parfois deux à trois fois moins chers que chez nous.”
    (“…energy costs are sometimes two to three times lower than here.”)
• Bigger Worry: Reliable Access
  • Major concern: Availability/reliability of electricity. Some industrial parks in Wallonia already lack sufficient power supply.
  • Network bottlenecks are not unique to Belgium (Also afflict the Netherlands).
    • Example: A bottleneck currently delays 56 GW in new Belgian industrial projects (equiv. to 50 nuclear reactors) [23:06].
  • Policy Response: Introduction of “flexible connection contracts” – companies agree to be cut off at certain times to manage network load.
    • Quote – Maxime Van de Weyer [24:27]:
      “C’est la fin de l’électricité pour tous tout le temps, en permanence. Ça c’est vraiment un grand changement de paradigme dans la gestion d’une entreprise.”
• Need for Predictability & Sovereignty
  • Businesses want long-term clarity to plan investments; constant policy changes and “band-aid” solutions foster uncertainty.
  • Clarisse Ramakers argues Belgium must regain “souveraineté énergétique” (energy sovereignty) to control electricity prices — which requires large-scale local production, and aligned investment at federal and regional levels (notably, regional renewables vs. federal nuclear energy policy), as well as cross-government coordination.
  • Notable Quote – Maxime Van de Weyer [21:44]:
    “Il y a un seul ennemi gigantesque, c’est l’incertitude.”
    (“There is only one gigantic enemy, and that’s uncertainty.”)

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Julie Frère (Test-Achat) [04:22]:
  « Ma facture d'électricité n'est pas une feuille d'impôt. »

• Host [12:37]:
  “C’est paradoxal… on paye plus cher son électricité, mais en même temps ça décourage ceux qui… veulent faire des efforts de décarbonation.”

• Maxime Van de Weyer [09:53]:
  “Nous vivons aujourd’hui un choc tarifaire.”

• Clarisse Ramakers (Agoria Wallonie) [17:56]:
  “… les coûts de l’énergie sont parfois deux à trois fois moins chers que chez nous.”

• Maxime Van de Weyer [21:44]:
  “Il y a un seul ennemi gigantesque, c’est l’incertitude.”

• Maxime Van de Weyer [24:27]:
  “C’est la fin de l’électricité pour tous tout le temps, en permanence…”

Important Timestamps

• 00:54–05:49 – Deconstruction of Belgian electricity bills; Test-Achat critique.
• 06:17–10:34 – Maxime Van de Weyer on network costs & modernization.
• 10:34–13:39 – Transition paradox and impact on consumer choices (heat pumps, etc.).
• 13:39–16:17 – Federal tax shift & flexible consumption.
• 17:33–20:38 – Perspective from businesses and Agoria.
• 20:38–25:48 – Power shortages, network investment, and the need for long-term planning.

Takeaways

• Belgian electricity is expensive mostly due to taxes/surcharges and mounting network investments needed for the renewable transition.
• High electricity prices are paradoxically slowing decarbonization efforts among households and businesses.
• The gap between electricity and gas costs makes heat pumps and similar solutions uncompetitive for now—though tax reform aims to address this, tangible effects will be slow and modest.
• For businesses, energy cost and—crucially—network access (availability) are strategic factors affecting competitiveness, investment, and location decisions.
• The main call is for policy clarity and long-term vision, as “uncertainty” in Belgian energy planning is the greatest enemy for all actors.
• Structural reforms, local investment, and cross-level coordination are needed to ensure Belgium can both afford and trust its electricity supply in the coming decades.

Tone and language reflect the podcast’s informative, analytical, and occasionally critical style, blending expertise with accessibility for a wide public.