Network managers do not have to supply gas to all homes

“It makes no sense to have an obligation for houses to be connected to the natural gas network at the same time as we’re trying to get away from fossil fuels,” Tommelein said. “With this change, we’re going all-in for renewable energy, as well as making sure our energy bills don’t go through the roof.”

The old rule was a consequence of the oil crisis of the 1970s, when Belgium decided to make it easy to switch from oil-fired heating to gas. Since then, the network has spread to cover the whole country, but at a cost. In more remote areas, for example, repairs and maintenance to hundreds of metres of pipeline can be expensive, while serving only a few houses.

With the removal of the obligation on the network managers, the cost of laying down a connection will fall more on the residents, encouraging them to consider other options, said Tommelein.

“Providing a gas connection for remote housing would cost the management companies a lot of money, which would then be passed along in energy bills,” he said. “For someone living out of the way, a gas connection is usually not cost-effective. You’d be better off going for sustainable alternatives like a water-pump, solar boiler, solar panels or linking to a heating network.”

Photo: Ingimage