Belgium approves draft rise in Social Heating Fund support
Belgium’s Council of Ministers has approved a draft royal decree that would temporarily increase support available through the Social Heating Fund for qualifying bulk-fuel deliveries this winter. The measure is intended for deliveries made from 1 December 2026 to 28 February 2027, and remains subject to the next stages of the legislative process.
The decision does not mean that increased payments are already in force. The draft is to be sent to the Council of State for advice, so the announced figures should be understood as proposed terms of a temporary measure rather than a completed change to the scheme.
Higher proposed support at specified price levels
Under the proposal, additional payment bands would begin when the price of bulk heating fuel, including VAT, reaches €1.50 per litre. At the highest stated level, a price of €1.775 per litre or more would correspond to support of up to 50 cents per litre.
For a delivery of 1,500 litres, that maximum would be €750. The figures relate to the specified delivery period and are part of the draft decree approved by the Council of Ministers. They are not a flat-rate payment for every recipient or a guarantee that every delivery will receive the maximum amount.
The proposal links the level of help to the per-litre price paid for a delivery. That structure means the amount would vary across the new price bands, rather than applying one identical rate regardless of the price. The Council’s decision identifies the new upper rate and the price at which it would be reached, but the next legal step has not yet been completed.
How the proposal compares with the current arrangement
At present, the fund’s bulk-heating allowance is 14 cents per litre when the price, including VAT, is below €1.35 per litre. It rises to a maximum of 20 cents per litre, or €300 for 1,500 litres, when the price reaches €1.475 per litre.
The temporary draft would therefore add bands above the existing scale for the three winter months named in the decision. Its proposed ceiling of 50 cents per litre is higher than the current maximum, but it applies only at the stated price threshold and only to deliveries within the defined dates.
The distinction between the current rules and the planned change matters for households arranging deliveries. The existing allowance remains the operative framework while the decree is considered further. The approved draft sets out what the temporary structure would be if the required process is completed; it does not announce an immediate universal payment.
A limited winter measure still awaiting advice
The Council of Ministers met on Friday 23 October and approved the draft on the proposal of Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet. The measure concerns the Social Heating Fund’s allowance for bulk heating fuel, rather than a permanent redesign of the fund.
Its proposed start date of 1 December places it ahead of the defined winter delivery period, while its scheduled end on 28 February means the higher bands would be temporary. The Council of State’s advice is the next identified step. Until that process is concluded, the proposal’s dates, thresholds and maximum payment describe the government’s draft, not a final entitlement.
