Who do I have to deal with in the energy market.

In a liberalised energy market, that is one open to competition, you are in contact with two players:

• your supplier. the company you have chosen to buy your energy from. You have concluded a contract with this company and pay your bills to it.
• your distribution system operator. This is the company that supplies the energy to your home. You pay for these services with a distribution cost (gas and/or electricity) through your energy bill. 

A market that is open but more complex

In the past, when it came to energy you had no choice with regard to supplier, contract or even the type of “product” you wanted.  Today you can choose from among various contracts, different pricing formulas, different sources of energy, green or not, on offer from a wide range of suppliers.

Clearly, however, to provide you with energy, each of these suppliers has not laid its own electric cables or dug its own gas pipeline trenches. These networks are organised, built and maintained by the distribution system operator. This is an independent company which is monitored by regulators and is commercially neutral with regard to the suppliers.  Its task is to carry the gas and electricity to your home and manage the consumption data. It charges all the energy suppliers the same rate for its services. These suppliers recover these costs on your bill.

There are numerous distribution system operators in the country. Each one as a monopoly on the network for a region or sub-region. The distribution system operator in Brussels is Sibelga. Before the market was liberalised, Sibelga managed the networks and sold the energy. This latter activity is now undertaken by commercial suppliers. Sibelga now only takes care of the distribution networks. It also undertakes numerous public service missions, such as lighting the municipal roads.

When should you contact a supplier? When should you contact a Sibelga?

Contact a supplier:

• to ask for a quotation
• to conclude a contract
• about a billing problem
• to obtain a payment plan
• etc.

Contact Sibelga (02/549.41.00):

• to have a meter opened or closed
• to have work done on your meter
• to have work done on your connection
• for information about Sibelga works in your area
• with questions about your meter readings
• to report a problem with the public lighting
• etc.