Electricity prices fall, household bills rise

Between December 2012 and December 2013, the average price of electricity fell 24%, while household electricity bills rose steeply, according to the latest report by the energy regulator Creg evaluating the effectiveness of federal energy policies. In the report Energy Minister Melchior Wathelet and Consumer Affairs Minister Johan Vande Lanotte got good marks for their work in lowering prices and increasing competition and transparency. The rise in household bills is blamed on federal policy, which takes in the cost of energy units, but not the cost of networks and surcharges. In 2013 some surcharges caused prices to rocket, destroying any of the positive effects of federal energy policy.