Electricity and natural gas suppliers are more likely to engage collection agencies for those who do not pay their bills on time. This is evident from the 2025 annual report of the Federal Energy Ombudsman. Moreover, the problems with moving and unsolicited switching of suppliers continue to persist.
Remi Lehmann
Journalist at HLN
Source: Belga
The service received 10,091 questions and complaints in the past year, or almost 22 percent less than in 2024. This is still more than the 9,000 complaints from before the energy crisis, but significantly less than in 2022, when more than 26,000 complaints and questions were registered.
While the total number of complaints is decreasing, the majority traditionally concerning meter problems, energy prices and billing problems, there are a number of complaints that are increasing.
“For example, there are more complaints about payment plans and collection costs. For the second year in a row, we see that suppliers are quicker to respond to non-payments and call in collection agencies and lawyers more quickly. There is less tolerance for non-payment,” says Energy Ombudsman Eric Houtman.
‘Mystery switches’
A number of structural problems also persist, as shown in the annual report. In 2025, there were still 359 cases of ‘mystery switches’, where customers change suppliers without being asked. “A daily problem that causes a lot of organizational and financial inconvenience for the end customer,” the Ombudsman’s Office notes.
Moving also continues to cause structural problems, it sounds. Residents receive bills for periods in which they did not have an energy contract. In 2025, 557 such disputes were registered.
Relatively more complaints about ‘challengers’
Also a recurring observation: some ‘challengers’ on the market have a larger share of complaints than their market share. This is, for example, the case for Mega, which accounted for more than 13 percent of complaints in 2025, while the percentage of connection points at the end of 2024 was more than 4 percent. The same goes for Total Energies, which accounted for 15.5 percent of complaints in 2025, while the share of connection points was 8.9 percent. “There is still work to be done,” Houtman notes.
The Ombudsman traditionally also has some advice for the federal ministers of Energy and Consumer Affairs. This concerns, for example, stricter price control by the federal energy regulator CREG, the introduction of a maximum period of twelve months for drawing up and sending an invoice or better telephone and electronic accessibility of customer services.
