Flanders (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Flemish Energy Minister Melissa Depraetere extended the digital meter deadline to March 31, 2026, for solar panel owners;a subsidy of up to €4,000 applies, with applications due December 31, 2025.
As Nieuwsblad News reported, owners of solar panels in Flanders who did not receive a digital electricity meter by the end of this year due to force majeure now have 3 more months to complete the installation. The extension applies to households that faced delays caused by technical issues or supply problems.
The government says the measure ensures electricity use and production are measured correctly. It also gives solar panel owners more time to comply with the mandatory switch from analogue to digital meters.
What support can Flanders solar panel owners get for digital meters?
People who installed solar panels between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2020, can apply for a one-time retroactive subsidy when upgrading to a digital meter. This subsidy follows a Constitutional Court ruling that ended the reverse-running meter system. Homeowners can receive up to €4,000, depending on the size and type of their solar installation. Applications must be submitted by the end of this year.
Fluvius is delaying the installation of digital meters in some homes and apartments in Flanders. Officials mentioned that in many cases, the meter connection must be completely replaced. This is often needed when asbestos is present in the building or when the wiring is outdated and unsafe.
They said that these cases are called remediation files, and the work takes time to finish. To address the delays, Flemish Energy Minister Melissa Depraetere has extended the deadline for households in remediation projects. Families now have until March 31, 2026, to install their digital meters.
“It wouldn’t be fair if families missed out on their premiums due to force majeure. I won’t let that happen. By giving Fluvius extra time to install these meters, we’re ensuring that solar panel owners can still count on their premium,”
added the Flemish Minister of Energy.
Owners of solar panels in these projects must file their retroactive investment subsidy application no later than December 31, 2025. Fluvios will release a certificate indicating that the project is a remediation file. This allows the households in question to apply for a subsidy, even if the installation is delayed.
In the past, Flanders has implemented similar support programs for owners of solar panels. In 2021, the government launched a retroactive investment premium to assist homeowners who were affected by the mandatory replacement of reverse-running analogue meters with digital meters. In 2024, up to €1,163 was offered as a one-off grant for families with solar panels who got a heat pump. This addressed the loss due to the ending of the virtual reverse counter system.
