Breakdown and repair : emergency assistance from suppliers!

With so many energy suppliers operating in the Belgian market, it can be hard to know who to choose. Whether it’s their gas and/or electricity prices, their boiler maintenance contract or their support package, you need to be an expert to compare them! To give you peace of mind when choosing, we set out the support services offered by the leading suppliers in the market (Luminus, Eneco, Engie and TotalEnergies) and reveal which is the best assistance from supplier to choose.

The Comfort Bonus from Eneco: free support in any situation

The Dutch supplier Eneco certainly knows how to spoil its customers! Whether you’re a gas-only, an electricity-only or a dual-fuel customer, you will be able to use Eneco’s Comfort Bonus support service free of charge a month after starting your energy contract with them. You will then have free access to:

• Technical support: a range of professionals, including plumbers, locksmiths and electricians, will be at your disposal;
• Bicycle assistance applicable throughout Europe up to twice a year: repair, transport and repatriation are the key principles of this service;
• Electric car assistance applicable throughout Europe. In addition to repair, transport and repatriation, you will be offered a replacement car for up to 5 days if you have been immobilised for more than 4 hours and were not at fault.

But that’s not all! After a year, Eneco’s Comfort Bonus services increase, still free of charge! In addition to the 3 support services mentioned above, you will also be entitled to:

• Support for your household appliances (washing machine, tumble dryer, oven, microwave, fridge, etc.), including telephone assistance 24/7 and breakdown assistance if your appliances are between 1 and 5 years old.
• A guarantee for your energy bill in the event of a loss of income due to a period of unemployment or disability. This guarantee will apply after a minimum of 3 consecutive months of loss of income. Eneco will refund your bills for 4 consecutive months, provided that the bill amount does not exceed €75 per month.

>> For further information on Eneco’s Comfort Bonus and the terms and conditions (in French)

Repairs and services from Luminus to make your life easier

In addition to its numerous gas and electricity deals, energy giant Luminus has introduced a range of additional services for its customers.

Electro Repair & Replace

The Electro Repair & Replace support service from Luminus will help you look after your electrical devices and household appliances. In partnership with AXA insurance, you will be able to choose from two pricing options:

Electro Repair & Replace for €5 per month:

• Legal warranty extended up to 5 years;
• Your washing machine, tumble dryer, stove, cooker, fridge and freezer are covered;
• New appliance if the fault cannot be repaired.

Electro Repair & Replace + for €6.95 per month:

• Legal warranty extended up to 5 years;
• Your washing machine, tumble dryer, stove, cooker, fridge, freezer, dishwasher and television are covered;
• New appliance delivered if the fault cannot be repaired.
• Free diagnosis and offer for appliances more than 5 years old.

Luminus home assistance

Even though it is compulsory in Belgium, home insurance does not cover all types of damage. So Luminus has introduced its own insurance, again in collaboration with AXA. For €7.95 per month, you can receive assistance from more than 300 professional technicians who will deal with damage relating to:

• Electricity : short circuit, loss of current, lighting failure;
• Water : blocked pipes, loss of hot water, leaks;
• Heating : central heating or heat pump breakdown, boiler breakdown, leaking central heating pipe;
• Roof : leaks, crumbling chimney, fallen tiles, dangling gutters;
• Solar panels : breakdown;
• Broken glass, lost keys or defective lock, jammed garage door, legal assistance in the event of a dispute.

Boiler warranty

If you have a problem with your boiler or it breaks down, you can have it repaired within 24 hours thanks to the Luminus boiler warranty. Whether you have a gas boiler or an oil boiler, you can access this additional service by paying €9.95 per month by direct debit.

The boiler warranty covers you for up to €500 per repair. This price includes labour, transport and any spare parts.

Emergency repair service

If Luminus supplies your gas or electricity, you can benefit from an emergency repair service for your sanitary fittings, your heating or your solar panels for €45 excluding VAT per hour or part hour. In general, travel costs are invariably €50 excluding VAT.

These services are applicable only on working days and during normal office hours. If you call the support service before 10.00am, a technician will visit you the same day. If parts need to be changed, the cost will be agreed with the technician based on the catalogue price.

>> Further information on the Luminus support services (in French)

Support services from Engie : everything for the home

Like Luminus, historical supplier Engie offers its customers a variety of services and support for their home installations.

Boiler repair service

Has your boiler broken down? Do you not have any hot water? With its network of 150 heating engineers, Engie can come and repair your gas or oil boiler, provided that it is no longer under warranty. The price of this service varies according to the age of your house, since the VAT percentage is different depending on whether your house is more than or less than 10 years old (6% for houses more than 10 years old and 21% for houses less than 10 years old).

More than 10 years old	Less than 10 years old
Travel : 60€	Déplacement : 68,49 euros
Hourly rate between 8.00am and 4.30pm: €65	Hourly rate between 8.00am and 4.30pm: €74.20
Hourly rate evenings and public holidays: €115	Hourly rate evenings and public holidays: €131.27

A local specialist for work on your home

Whether your problem involves plumbing, electricity, smart electrical devices, household appliances or internal or external works, Engie can offer you a range of specialists.

To benefit from this service, you will need to book it online, accept the quotation offered and arrange an appointment. In addition, no advance payment is required: you will pay only after the technician has done the work.

Home repair and assistance

Hot water problem? Boiler breakdown? Broken window? Lost keys? Don’t panic! Engie offers a number of support packages to sort out your problems. Through its home repair and assistance service, a technician will be able to carry out your repairs within 24 hours, or within 3 hours in an emergency.  Engie will cover up to €400 of work, with no excess to pay.

The packages on offer range from €6.25 per month to €9 per month.

	Heating assistance – €6.25 per month	Home assistance – €7.75 per month	Home assistance +- €9 per month	Apartment assistance +- €8 per month
Unlimited service calls	✓	✓	✓	✓
Boiler or hot water problem	✓	✓	✓	✓
Water leak, blocked toilet, no running water		✓	✓	✓
Short circuit		✓	✓	✓
Lost or jammed key		✓	✓	✓
Broken glass		✓	✓	✓
Leaking roof or blocked gutter		✓	✓
Extension of the warranty on electrical appliances and multimedia devices			✓	✓

Problems with inverters or solar panels

If your inverter has broken down, you can soon find out whether it needs to be repaired or replaced, thanks to personalised advice from a specialist. If a repair is needed, the technician will take the opportunity to perform maintenance on the inverter and update its software. If it needs to be replaced, your inverter warranty will be extended to 10 years.

In addition, this service, which is specifically for people with solar panels, is all-inclusive. A single price covers everything from advice to installation of new inverters :

• €609 for a repair, including a 6-month warranty;
• €1,312 for a replacement, including a 10-year warranty;

>> Further information on the Engie support services (in French)

Energy assistance from TotalEnergies : for gas and electricity problems

TotalEnergies offers its customers an Energy Assistance package which is applicable for heating problems or electricity hassles. The guiding principle of this assistance is speed. An appointment can be arranged within 4 hours of your request, even on public holidays or at weekends.

You can sign up for electricity assistance if you have an electricity contract, or gas and electricity assistance if you have a dual-fuel contract.

Electricity assistance costs €2.99 per month and includes:

• Your costs covered up to €400;
• An unlimited number of service visits;
• Assistance if your electrical installation breaks down.

For gas and electricity assistance, the cost is €4.99 per month and includes:

• Your costs covered up to €400;
• An unlimited number of service visits;
• Assistance if your indoor electrical installation breaks down.
• Assistance if your gas boiler or water heater breaks down;
• Assistance if you have a leak in your gas pipes.

Whichever option you choose, the first month is always free of charge and a telephone customer service is available 24/7.

In short, which supplier support service is the best on the market?

It’s hard to say which supplier offers the best deal in terms of assistance and additional services. If you want to sign up to one of these products, you should pay attention to:

• Your requirements;
• Your monthly budget.

So, for smaller wallets, Eneco’s Comfort Bonus comes out on top since it is free and is activated automatically a month after you start your contract with the supplier. However, the services offered in this package are relatively basic.

If you want to focus more on the repair and maintenance of your household appliances, the Electro Repair & Replace package from Luminus is the ideal solution. It is also good for thrifty consumers since the packages on offer cost less than €10 per month.

However, if you are worried about your heating or electricity breaking down, TotalEnergies is the partner you need since, for a maximum of €5 per month, you can call them whenever and as often you like!

Lastly, you should choose Engie if you have a photovoltaic installation. In addition to its expertise in the field, Engie is the only supplier on the market that offers a specific service for inverters.