Applying for a surcharge as compensation for the higher energy costs is still abracadabra for many people. This is apparent from a tour of the fair in Landsmeer. People sometimes don’t know what it is, whether they have a right to it or they don’t trust it. Heidi Bouhlel of the SP tries to explain to people in the village that they may be entitled to the free money.
“I’m not going to request that, because I don’t feel like those situations with the people in power. Then just sit in the cold,” says someone at the fair. “I hear about it on the news, but then I forget it the next day,” says a second. “I have 1,400 euros to spend a month, so I don’t think I’m entitled to it,” says a third. Obviously, a lot of people don’t trust the supplement or even know what it means.
Information about energy surcharges
Heidi Bouhlel of the SP also notices this. “People don’t dare to apply for it because of the allowance affair. They are afraid that they will have to pay it back or that there will be fines,” notes Bouhlel. According to the politician, the municipality is trying to make it clear with the government, but there is insufficient explanation of how people apply for the money.
For that reason, she is handing out application forms to as many visitors to the fair as possible today. And she tells them what they are entitled to. “People also think it has to do with their energy bill or have never heard of it.”
Compensation for higher energy costs
The energy surcharge was created to compensate households for the increased energy costs. Municipalities automatically pay 800 euros to people on welfare. But households that do not like this can also claim the scheme. In Landsmeer, the limit is between 1,244 and 1,971 euros per month, depending on the household.