Bills
Interim bills – Summary bills
Elegant issues interim bills on a monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly basis.
You will receive your summary bill approximately one month after the annual meter reading.
The amounts charged in interim bills are instalment charges, whereas the summary bill takes account of your actual consumption.
How does Elegant calculate its bills?
Elegant calculates its bills based on your consumption. Your consumption is determined by meter readings, which are recorded independently by the network operator.
Sometimes consumption is estimated, in which case the meter readings on your bill will be marked with an asterisk: *. Consumption is estimated if you don’t provide your meter readings to the network operator in time, or if you weren’t at home when the operator came to read your meter.
Meters and meter readings are the network operator’s responsibility. Elegant can only bill on the basis of the meter readings supplied by the network operator.
Any correction of the meter readings must therefore be requested through the network operator.
I have paid my summary bill. Why do I still have an outstanding balance?
The summary bill is calculated on the assumption that all interim bills have been paid.
You are supposed to pay both your summary bill and your interim bills.
If the summary bill has been paid, but there is still an outstanding balance, this means that there are interim bills that haven’t been paid.
If you were also entitled to credit, this will already have been deducted from the outstanding balance.
I have already paid these bills!
In this case, send us proof of payment (such as a bank statement) as soon as possible at collection@la-on.eu, quoting your file number.
I am entitled to a credit.
Your credit has probably already been taken into account in your outstanding balance. If you have any questions, you can contact us at collection@la-on.eu, quoting your file number.
The customer to whom the bills are sent has died.
If a customer dies, his or her heirs are responsible for any outstanding bills. Send us the name and contact details of the notary managing the estate.
If you have rejected your inheritance, send us a copy of the deed of rejection.
All information in this connection can be sent to collection@la-on.eu, quoting your file number. You can also contact us by phone on 03/400 89 33.
I am no longer a customer of Elegant. Why have I still received a bill?
There may be an unpaid bill dating back to when you were still a customer. Often this will be the final bill.
It could also be that you haven’t correctly informed us that you have moved, and that your contract for that address has continued.
I make my payments to the network operator / I have a budget meter.
There may still be an outstanding balance dating back to when you were an Elegant customer. The fact that you now pay the network operator or have a budget meter doesn’t change this outstanding balance: you must settle it or agree to a repayment plan.
Moving house
Important: transfer document
When you move house, a transfer document must be created.
This document transfers the energy supply from the person moving out to the new occupant.
The transfer document can be found on the regional regulators’ websites:
www.vreg.be, www.cwape.be, www.brugel.be.
It must be signed by both the person moving out and the new occupant, and sent to Elegant within 30 days of the move.
If you have not yet submitted the transfer document, please send it to la-on as soon as possible at collection@la-on.eu, quoting your file number. We will then try to request an adjustment, although this is only possible in certain circumstances.
If an adjustment is no longer possible, and you believe someone else is responsible for the electricity consumption, you should try to settle matters with that person – through legal action or otherwise.
I no longer live at that address.
There may still be unpaid bills from your old address.
It could also be that you haven’t correctly informed us that you have moved, and that your contract for that address has continued.
If you have moved, check the transfer document for more information.
I have moved house and am no longer a customer of Elegant. Why have I still received a bill?
There may be an unpaid bill dating back to when you were still a customer. Often this will be the final bill.
It could also be that you haven’t correctly informed us that you have moved, and that your contract for that address has continued.
Consumption
I am not responsible for this electricity consumption.
la-on is always required by law to collect payment from the person in whose name the bill is issued.
You may have failed to transfer the energy supply in time by submitting the transfer document. Look under ‘I have moved house’.
If you believe that someone else is responsible for the consumption, you should try to settle matters with that person – through legal action or otherwise.
Again, la-on is required by law to collect payment from the person in whose name the bill is issued.
My bill seems far too high. Are the readings correct?
Sometimes consumption is estimated, in which case the meter readings on your bill will be marked with an asterisk: *. Consumption is estimated if you don’t provide your meter readings to the network operator in time, or if you weren’t at home when the operator came to read your meter. The estimate may be higher than your actual consumption, resulting in a higher bill.
You can send us the actual meter readings at collection@la-on.eu, quoting your file number. We will then request a correction from Elegant. Please note that there is a charge for this. You can also wait for the next summary bill with a correct recalculation. If the consumption totals do relate to actual meter readings (not marked with a * on the summary bill), then there are various possible explanations:
- Your higher consumption is to be expected: have more people been living in the house? Do you have any new appliances that use a lot of electricity? Your consumption will also strongly depend on insulation, the age of the appliances in your home, and your patterns of energy use.
- Your higher consumption is due to a defective appliance. This is your responsibility.
- Your higher consumption is due to a faulty meter.
If you suspect a faulty meter, contact your network operator as soon as possible, and also inform la-on of your complaint.
Repayment plans
I wish to request a repayment plan.
Send us an email at collection@la-on.eu, quoting your file number. Clearly indicate the repayment plan you would like, and the date when we can expect to receive your first payment.
You can also phone us on 03/400 89 33: select option 1 and be sure to quote your reference number.
The repayment plans you have proposed are too steep for me.
An outstanding debt must be repaid within 12 months, or the monthly amount that you pay must be at least 100 euros.
Is that not financially feasible for you? We can make exceptions, but only with the approval of social services such as the Public Welfare Centre (OCMW/CPAS) or General Welfare Centre (CAW). Ask the welfare centre to get in touch with us as soon as possible.
Don’t ask the welfare centre for money; it must contact us to agree on a repayment plan tailored to your needs.
Let us know if you have contacted the welfare centre, and we will put your file on hold to protect you from additional charges and/or the judicial officer. Send us an email at collection@la-on.eu, quoting your file number, or phone us on 03/400 89 33.
I would like a repayment plan but I am in debt counselling or budget management.
Send our letter or email to your debt counsellor or budget manager and ask them to contact us as soon as possible.
Let us know that you have done so, and we will put your file on hold. Send us an email at collection@la-on.eu, quoting your file number, or phone us on 03/400 89 33.
I am in a collective debt settlement process (involving a lawyer).
Give us your debt mediator’s contact details as soon as possible, and we will put your file on hold to protect you from additional charges and/or the judicial officer.
I already have a repayment plan with Elegant.
It may be that you have made a late payment or missed a payment. Elegant will transfer the records to our office.
You should now contact us to set up a new repayment plan. Send us an email at collection@la-on.eu, quoting your file number, or phone us on 03/400 89 33.
I have requested a repayment plan but received a final notice anyway.
Confirmation of your repayment plan may have occurred after the final notice was sent out. If in doubt, you can contact us at collection@la-on.eu, quoting your file number, or phone us on 03/400 89 33.
What happens if I pay late or don’t pay?
If you repeatedly pay late or fail to pay, we will have to hand over your file to the judicial officer.
If you don’t agree on a settlement with the judicial officer, you will be summoned to appear in court.
What if, exceptionally, I am unable to pay or have problems keeping to the repayment plan?
Phone us on 03/400 89 33 and we will assess your case individually.
Judicial officer
I have received a notice from the judicial officer.
Contact the judicial officer to agree on a repayment plan.
I have received a notice from the judicial officer, but I already have a repayment plan with la-on.
Have you only just agreed on a repayment plan with us? The notice may have been sent out before the confirmation of your repayment plan. Send an email to collection@la-on.eu, quoting your file number, or phone us on 03/400 89 33.
It is also possible that you haven’t been keeping up with your repayment plan. If we don’t receive your payments on time, we will hand over your file to the judicial officer. You will then have to contact the judicial officer to agree on a new repayment plan.
I have received a summons from the judicial officer.
You should contact the judicial officer to discuss this.
My file has been wrongly transferred to the judicial officer.
Send us your proof of payment showing that you have followed the repayment plan correctly and punctually. Send this proof to collection@la-on.eu, quoting your file number.
The court phase
Have you been summoned or has a judgment been pronounced by the court? You should first contact the judicial officer to discuss this.
Questions or complaints
Any further questions or complaints? Send an email to collection@la-on.eu, quoting your file number.
State your question or complaint clearly and include any supporting documents. We will get back to you with an answer as quickly as possible. Your file will be put on hold if we have to request information from our client. While your file is on hold, there will be no extra charges and your file will not be transferred to the judicial officer.
