The way electricity is sold in Brussels is made of multiple layers of services, taxes and excises which we’ll try to clarify here.

Here is a table with a few of the offers available in Brussels in December 2024

	Fixed cost	Electricity	Green energy
Engie Flow

Provider specific prices

Fixed cost

This is a yearly/monthly fixed cost that you will need to pay regardless of your consumption.

Electricity price

Typically around 0.15 – 0.20€ per kWh

The main part (but not the biggest) is the price of the actual electricity. It differs per provider and you have multiple types of contract : fixed price, variable prices, peak/off-peak, …

That’s usually the number that is written in big bold letters by your electricity provider but it’s far from the actual price you will pay.

For variable rates, there is a formula in each contract which depends on the market prices and can be seen on Epexspot.

Injection prices

Typically between 0.02€ and 0.15€ per kWh

If you have solar panels, this will be the price you get for the kWh you are not using. Those are not taxed in any way for individuals.

Green energy costs

Typically around 0.02 – 0.03€ per kWh

Not to be confused with the « tax on renewable energy » or the « optional green energy »

There is a charge for providing green energy. This is to compensate for the « Certificats Vert / Groenstroomcertificaten » that a provider that doesn’t have 100% green electricity need to buy.

Note that this would not exist for Energy Sharing as they only sell you excess capacity from solar panels of your neighbours.

Option for green energy

Typically around 0.01€ per kWh

Some contracts will make you pay extra to make sure all your energy is low carbon (but not renewable).

I personally think it’s a bit of a scam because the provider will typically not change their overall energy mix so it doesn’t make much of a difference. Nuclear energy is included as green energy which not everyone might agree with.

Distribution and Transportation costs

Next to the electricity itself you have to pay Sibelga (in Brussels) for the transportation of the electrons. This is the same regardless of your provider. The details for the years 2025 to 2027 can be found on their website.

Fixed costs (Sibelga)

• Meter reading (Sibelga): annually around 12€ for 2025.
• Public obligation costs based on the power capacity (kVA) (Sibelga) : between 20 and 160€ for 2025

Consumption based

• Distribution per kWh (Sibelga) : 0.0706€ (off-peak) or 0.094€ (peak/normal) per kWh in 2025
• Transportation per kWh (Elia) : 0.0225€ per kWh in 2025

Taxes

On top of those, multiple taxes are added

Energy cotisation

0.002042€ per kWh

A small tax on energy. Not clear what the purpose is.

Federal excises

Around 0.05€ per kWh

Yet another tax on usage. It does go down above 20.000 kWh per year which most households will not reach.