Belgium has proposed temporary heating-oil relief of up to €750 per 1,500-liter delivery for eligible households as prices rise, with the draft measure covering purchases made over the winter, the government said.
The federal government said heating-oil prices had climbed since mid-July and accelerated from early September. It recorded a price of €1.62 per liter on Oct. 23, the backdrop for the temporary increase, which would apply to deliveries made from Dec. 1, 2026, through Feb. 28, 2027, inclusive.
Under the current scale, support begins at €0.14 per liter when prices are below €1.35 and reaches €0.20 at €1.475, or €300 for a 1,500-liter delivery. The proposal would add payment steps once prices reach €1.50, up to €0.50 per liter when the price is at least €1.775.
At the Oct. 23 price, a 1,500-liter purchase would cost €2,430 before the proposed payment. Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet’s office estimates the allowance at €487.50 in that case, bringing the remaining cost to €1,942.50.
The planned €15 million envelope is divided equally between the Social Heating Fund and the Gas and Electricity Fund, according to Bihet’s office. Each fund would receive €7.5 million.
The higher payment would follow existing Social Heating Fund eligibility rules, rather than be available to every heating-oil customer. The federal social security portal lists certain social-benefit recipients, low-income households and people with excessive debt whom a local public social welfare center finds unable to pay their heating bill. Applications go through those local centers, known as CPAS in French and OCMW in Dutch.
Bihet said, “Heating one’s home should never become a luxury.”
Ministers approved the text as a draft, which has been sent to the Council of State for an opinion.
