VideoEnergy suppliers are going bankrupt, gas prices remain high, and winter is still on the way. It raises many questions: switch or not, which supplier is reliable and what kind of contract do you take? Joris Kerkhof, energy expert at independent comparison site Independer answers four frequently asked questions.
Marloe van der Schrier
Latest update:
16:33
1. What is the expectation for the coming period?
“Prices have risen even higher in the past two or three weeks. We thought October was the peak, but the geopolitical situation and tensions in Ukraine and Russia are pushing gas and electricity prices even higher. And then we go into winter. More demand, less supply. Then the price rises even further. Higher temperatures will lower demand in the spring and I suspect that prices will be able to fall again.
2. What is the best thing to do as a consumer in the meantime?
“If your contract ends now, I wouldn’t do anything for a while. Then you pay variable rates and you retain flexibility to switch if the rates drop again. Keep a close eye on it. The market wobbles. If you’d like to be sure, secure it for a maximum of one year. People with a small wallet for whom the energy bill is a real problem, receive compensation from the municipality. A maximum of 800,000 low-income households will receive an extra one-time energy surcharge of 200 euros.”
Be aware of what you consume and what it costs
3. Is there anything else you can do yourself?
“My advice is always to look at your consumption. Be aware of what you consume and what it costs. If I look at myself: on a normal winter day heating my house costs about 10 to 12 m3 of gas, with current prices that is 20 to 22 euros. If you go away for a day and you turn off the heating, you save quite a bit. Take a shorter shower, lower the heating a degree, that helps. It can also pay off to do a non-binding sustainability scan. Insulation does not have to be very expensive, but small adjustments can make a big difference.”
4. Several suppliers have already gone bankrupt as a result of the high prices. What does that mean for customers?
“If an energy supplier is declared bankrupt, a window period of a maximum of twenty days starts first. During that period, the trustee will look for a new supplier for the customers. They transfer automatically and can switch after 30 days. Again, the following applies: look at the offer of the new supplier and compare it with what is available in the market. Is a new supplier reliable? ACM checks the security of supply and issues the permits. I trust they do it right. In addition, it is also good to see whether the price is in line with the market. Offers that are too cheap also arouse suspicion.”
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