Concluding an energy contract or supply contract

• Contracts in the name of a private person (domestic contract): you conclude this contract for consumption in the house where you reside. You are protected if you pay your bill late or not at all.
• Contracts in the name of a business (professional contract): this contract is concluded for consumption in a commercial business or company. You are not protected if you pay the bill late or not at all. This means that the electricity and/or natural gas will be disconnected if you pay a bill late or not at all.

There are contracts for an indefinite term and contracts for a specified term. This does not mean you also have to remain a customer for the entire duration of the contract. Households and small businesses can easily switch supplier.

You can conclude an energy contract by telephone, during a visit from a salesman, in a sales outlet or via the website of the supplier. The fastest way to conclude a contract is through the Internet.

It is important to know that the energy contract only comes into force after you have signed it and received a confirmation from the new supplier.

If you have concluded a contract by telephone, you also have a 7-day cooling-off period after “signing” (confirmation via letter, e-mail or fax). For this, you must inform the supplier in writing within 7 days that you wish to withdraw from the new contract.

If have you signed a contract with a door-to-door salesman, you can cancel the contract free of charge up to 14 days after signing. You can use the V-test to see whether the energy contract proposed by the door-to-door salesman is interesting for you. You can also contact the Flemish Regulator for the Electricity and Gas Market (Vlaamse Regulator van de Elektriciteits- en Gasmarkt/VREG) to determine whether the contract offered by the door-to-door salesman is interesting for you.