Flemish discount coupons for household appliances are « Open Invitation to Fraud »
What does the premium entail?
The discount coupon, 250 euros per family, before the purchase or rental of energy -efficient devices already existed for those who were entitled to the social rate. Since this year, the premium is income -related, which means that about 35 percent of families are now entitled to it. That expansion had already been decided in the previous legislature, by then Flemish energy minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA). « We are going to make sure that that voucher ends up with the right people, » said her successor Melissa Depraetere (Vooruit) at the end of December. It immediately caused a popularity of the bons.
Read too. From now on one in three families is entitled to a discount voucher for Frigo or Droogkast
Why are the rules affected?
Soon abuse came to light. A shortcoming in the IT application ensured that in some families different adults can each request a voucher. The rules were tightened at the beginning of this month. According to the new rules, families can request a maximum of two different devices in five years. Moreover, the coupons are only valid for 45 days instead of two years. Although it is still waiting until March, depending on the final approval and publication in the Belgian Official Gazette.
What does the Flemish utility regulator say?
The Flemish utility regulation, the new name for the VREG, came up with critical advice on Tuesday. After the announcement to expand the discount coupon, 44,000 vouchers were requested at the beginning of January. « That, while in the context of the budget formatting, only a budget of 4 million euros was made available for 2025, which can reimburse 16,000 discount coupons. » Something that the Depraetere cabinet admitted yesterday and acknowledged that the budget would go higher than the available amount.
The rapid adjustment of the old rules also raises questions at the utility regulator. The autonomous service wonders « how well thought out the newly introduced scheme and also the present adjustments are. »
“Open invitation to fraud”
Today on Wednesday, the opposition party Vlaams Belang was the Depraetere de Kat the BEL. « On second -hand websites such as 2dehands.be, discount coupons appear that are offered for sale, which proves that this premium is not a targeted support measure, but an open invitation to fraud, » says Vlaams Belang on Wednesday.
“This is not a social policy, this is a farce. Tax money is thrown at grabbing, without any control or vision. We already warned about this: if you just hand out vouchers without comprehensive rules, you create abuse. And see, that's exactly what is happening now. » VB MP Filip Brusselmans also wonders where the government will get the necessary extra budget. “By the way, that is bizarre somewhere, when one knows that the expansion of the voucher – the catalyst par excellence for the abuse – was decided by Demir during the previous legislature.
Majority Party N-VA said through Flemish MP Andries Gryffroy in Villa Politica « To be a cool lover of the bons now, certainly because there is now abuse. » According to Gryffroy, the 'megaphone' that Depraetere put on the measure is « not the best ». CD&V'er Robrecht Bothuyne is also asking questions. For him it is « a textbook example of a well -intended measure, which can quickly get bogged down in Sinterklaas politics due to poor communication. » Maurits Vande Reyde from opposition party Open VLD just wants to stop the system after the criticism of the Flemish utilities. “The socialists and N-VA spend money on Bons with which massive fraud is committed and that do not contribute to our CO2 emissions.
Depraetere: “For the time being only 4,000 exchanged”
Energy Depraetere himself, recognizes and condemns the abuse, she said in the Flemish Parliament. She points out that action was taken quickly when it became clear. Of the 44,000, requested bons were for the time being « only 4,000 exchanged ». She also repeated that the expansion was not entered or has been expanded by herself. Yet she remains behind the measure, because it means that many Flemish families have a lower energy bill in the long term.
In a response to the determination that Bons are offered for sale on the internet, her cabinet warned not to purchase a second -hand receipt. “The coupons are by name. You will not be able to use it ”, you can hear. « Nonsense, » says VB'er Brusselmans. « Your name is not asked in a store. » Will probably be prosecuted.
