Belgium boosts heating-oil aid for vulnerable households as energy prices rise

Belgium is stepping up targeted aid to shield vulnerable households from soaring energy costs, but the limited support may fall short as prices rise. Belgium will set aside €15 million to increase heating-oil subsidies for vulnerable households this winter as rising fuel prices squeeze household budgets. The temporary measure will cover heating-oil deliveries made between 1 December 2026 and 28 February 2027, Federal Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet announced on Friday. The existing allowance will rise progressively with prices, from a maximum of €0.20 per litre to €0.50 when heating oil reaches €1.775 per litre or more. The move comes amid persistent disruption in the Middle East, which has fuelled energy-market volatility. Brent crude was trading at $114 a barrel on Friday, up from $70 before the US-Israeli war with Iran. The additional support is targeted at eligible households facing higher heating costs, rather than consumers as a whole. "Heating one's home should never become a luxury. When the price of heating oil rises sharply, it is the most vulnerable households that feel the impact most severely," Bihet said. "We are temporarily increasing support to help them get through the winter with greater peace of mind and protect their purchasing power." Although heating oil is being phased out, it remains an important source of residential heating in some EU countries, including Cyprus and Ireland. In Belgium, it accounts for around 35% of residential space heating, second only to natural gas. Consumption is particularly high in rural areas and older buildings, especially in Wallonia, where nearly half of households rely on heating oil because they lack access to the gas grid. Across the EU, heating oil accounts for about 14% of residential space-heating energy, with roughly one in six heating systems running on oil, according to Odyssee-Mure, a tool supporting the evaluation of energy-efficiency policies. At the current Belgian price of €1.62 per litre, a delivery of 1,500 litres costs €2,430. The existing maximum subsidy of €300 covers only a fraction of the bill. Under the reinforced scheme, the allowance would rise to €487, bringing the household's net cost down to €1,943. The support is limited to households meeting the existing eligibility criteria for the Social Heating Fund; it is not available to everyone who uses heating oil. Federal Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet advised applicants to check their eligibility and the application procedure with their local public social welfare centre, known as the CPAS in French or OCMW in Dutch. The government has allocated €7.5 million to the Social Heating Fund to finance the increased heating allowance, with a further €7.5 million earmarked for the Gas and Electricity Fund. Support under the latter scheme is also distributed through public social welfare centres, subject to eligibility criteria. The measures offer short-term relief but are limited by their budget and eligibility requirements, leaving many households facing higher energy bills without additional support. Bihet said the increase was intended to protect the purchasing power of families most exposed to rising heating costs. The government has not said whether further measures will be introduced if prices rise beyond the levels covered by the scheme.