In June 2021, the Flemish energy regulator VREG launched legal action against Fluvius, the grid operator, for failing to resolve IT problems that have persisted for almost three years. The ongoing issues have resulted in thousands of Flemish residents not receiving energy bills for months or even years. Despite being given a deadline of June 30 to address these problems, Fluvius has failed to do so.
In November 2021, Fluvius launched Atrias along with other Belgian grid operators with the aim of creating a central database to facilitate the exchange of data on energy consumption and billing with energy suppliers. However, due to a software error, the database is not functioning correctly and has resulted in numerous complaints from customers. Currently, the EAN numbers of 21,785 Flemish households and SMEs have been blocked for varying lengths of time including some for over six months.
Barbara Janssens, spokesperson for VREG confirmed that Fluvius has not met the expected standards and as a result legal action is being taken. However, the specifics of fines or penalties are still being considered by lawyers. Fluvius has not yet been informed of the exact steps involved in the legal proceedings.
