In the Flemish regional capital, Antwerp, cooperative ZuidtrAnt has had to refuse people seeking to connect to its heating system that offers a fixed price over several years. But we are also going to get more people moving into energy cooperatives in the longer run as effects of climate change become even more tangible," said Energent project officer An Van Hemeldonck. "The prices are crazy now and people focus on that.
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Other Belgian cooperatives have also seen demand jump in the current high-inflation environment in which Russia's invasion of Ukraine has aggravated the related climate and energy crises.Įnergent said it has helped 694 households install solar panels so far this year, with the number of new subscribers in January-March alone topping annual figures for both 20, and requests for house insulation have also jumped. That is very important, otherwise you are dependent on geopolitics."Įnsuring stable supply off renewable sources and high storage costs are among current obstacles to significantly expanding the model, energy experts say. "With a cooperative like Ecopower, you have a say. "It's very important to keep everything in your own hands," Vandercammen said on a visit to her three-level mansion. The sun sets behind power-generating windmill turbines near Waremme, Belgium February 7, 2022. Members can buy a maximum of 20 shares at 250 euros each, get dividends capped at 6% from surplus sales and co-decide on where to invest next.
Set up in 1991, Ecopower is now Belgium's biggest energy cooperative, with wind turbines and solar panels producing 80 million kWh last year and providing electricity to some 55,000 households. "The sky-high prices make the situation worse and traditional energy firms do not address that because their main focus is profit."Įurostat said earlier this year Belgium had the highest energy inflation in the European Union, and the federal government has cut VAT for electricity among measures to bring down consumer bills.Ī household using 2,000 kWh per year now faces a bill of about 570 euros per year at Ecopower, half of the cheapest commercial provider, according to the Flemish regulator's calculator. "We provide an answer to the triple crisis of climate change, geopolitical dependency, as well as price inflation and energy poverty." "Our promise is not that we are always going to be the cheapest," said Ecopower spokeswoman Margot Vingerhoedt. With no spare production capacity, it would have to buy power on the spot market - were prices are at record highs - to supply more. Vandercammen's provider, a cooperative called Ecopower, supplies households at production cost - fixed for the life-span of the energy source - topped up by grid fees and taxes, as well as the cost of running itself.Įcopower says it has seen demand rise so sharply that it has had to stop accepting new members.
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