Grid operators for electricity and gas

No. You can only choose your own energy supplier. Your grid operator is automatically determined by your place of residence or business address. If you move to another region, you will also automatically be connected to a different grid operator.

In Flanders, this is almost always Fluvius, although Fluvius itself is divided into regional areas, each with different costs and tariffs. The same applies to ORES in Wallonia, by the way.

Your energy bill also always includes distribution and transmission charges. These are the network operator costs. The network operator is compensated for, among other things, maintenance of the network, investments in new infrastructure, meter management and technical support in the event of power cuts or leaks.

All these tariffs are set each year, and they vary by region and network operator.

A distribution system operator has various legal responsibilities to ensure that energy is delivered safely and reliably.

1. Building and maintaining energy networks

The distribution system operator builds and maintains:

• electricity cables
• natural gas pipelines
• transformer cabins
• connections to homes and businesses
• technical installations

Regular maintenance keeps the network safe and stable.

2. Connecting new homes and businesses

When a new home is built or a business needs a new connection, the distribution system operator provides:

• a new electricity connection
• a natural gas connection
• meter installation or capacity upgrades
• technical inspections

3. Managing electricity and natural gas meters

Distribution system operators are responsible for:

• installing digital meters
• maintaining meters
• processing meter readings
• communicating consumption data

This data is used by energy suppliers to issue accurate bills.

4. Resolving outages and problems

If there are problems on the energy network, the distribution system operator handles:

• fault detection
• repairs
• interventions in case of power outages
• checks in the event of possible gas leaks

Distribution system operators have technical teams available to respond day and night.

5. Managing solar panels and local energy production

The growth of solar panels, charging points and heat pumps is changing the electricity network significantly.

The distribution system operator ensures that the network remains suitable for:

• solar panel installations
• home batteries
• electric vehicles
• heat pumps
• local energy production

As a result, the electricity network is becoming increasingly smarter and more digital.

6. Social services

Distribution system operators also have social responsibilities.

Examples:

• supply to protected customers
• installation of budget meters
• support in cases of energy poverty

In Belgium, each of our three regions has its own energy network organisation, with different distribution system operators active in each one.

The costs are also calculated differently in each region. You can find those costs on every tariff card, but if you run a price simulation via DurfBesparen.be, we automatically include the correct costs in the price calculation.

Network operators in Flanders

In Flanders, most of the electricity and natural gas network is managed by Fluvius. Fluvius works for various municipal distribution system operators and handles the technical implementation of their tasks. The company is responsible for electricity, natural gas, heating networks, digital meters and public lighting, among other things.

Network operators in Wallonia

In Wallonia, people usually refer to distribution network operators (gestionnaires de réseau de distribution - GRD). Here too, many network operators have been brought together under the same management company, ORES. In addition, there is RESA (for the province of Liège), AIEG (for a number of municipalities in the province of Namur) and AIESH (for several municipalities in the south of the province of Hainaut).

Network operator in Brussels

In the Brussels-Capital Region, Sibelga is the only network operator for gas and electricity in the Brussels Region. This is Sibelga