Lower wholesale prices for electricity and natural gas in October have led to falling consumer prices.
Flemish energy regulator Vreg estimates that the average annual bill for consumers who conclude an energy contract in October is €6,805: about €4,361.06 for natural gas and €2,444.34 for electricity.
That is way below the prices for contracts taken out in September, when Vreg estimated the annual bill at more than €9,200 - nearly €6,000 for natural gas and €3,200 for electricity.
The figures are averages that Vreg uses to calculate the estimated annual bill for consumers who conclude a contract during a given month.
In September, the estimated bill was much higher because of record prices for natural gas and electricity at the time. Since then, prices have fallen, although they are still historically high.
The same applies to estimates of annual household bills: lower than in September, but still high.
The estimated annual prices do not apply to everyone. For example, anyone on a social rate pays much less, and those with variable contracts benefit if supplier prices fall.
