Flemish people have found a new savings partner in mijnvergelijker.be. In Wallonia, DPG Media uses the brand name comparateur.be. Reasoning that you’re stronger together than alone, the platform combines the expertise of mijnenergie.be, spaargids.be and the former mijntelco.be and independer.be. “By bringing those four platforms together under one umbrella, we make things easier for consumers. Instead of having to search different websites, they can now go to one platform. Opting for a single brand also helps us strengthen brand awareness and use our media even more efficiently.”

Energy is the undisputed front-runner for price comparisons, but when it comes to other fixed expenses, Belgians are missing out on a lot of money, Deschilder believes. “Belgians are quite loyal to their supplier; many of them don’t like to switch. But in economically challenging times, or if you want to save money, you can really make smarter choices.”

By the way, switching doesn’t have to be complex and time-consuming. “On mijnenergie.be, you calculate your potential savings with just a few clicks and you can immediately switch suppliers for free. All the practical arrangements are made for you behind the scenes. And if you have any questions, you can contact a support team of 20 Dutch- and French-speaking experts.”

Mijnvergelijker.be wants to encourage people to evaluate their fixed expenses once a year, similar to the annual spring cleaning. “Right now, people tend to reserve this for pivotal moments, such as buying a house or having children. But your needs are constantly changing. If you have teenagers in the house, for example, it might pay off to reconsider your telecommunications provider and health insurance company, with an eye on extra streaming behaviour and braces your children might need in the future. On our platform, you simply indicate your priorities and immediately receive a personalised offer. An annual expense check can easily save you more than 1,000 euros.”

Although there is a revenue model behind the platform – a supplier pays for every click, lead or switch – the biggest asset, according to Deschilder, is the objective, independent information. “This aligns perfectly with DPG Media’s mission: to inform consumers as clearly and objectively as possible. Mijnvergelijker.be emphatically sides with the consumer. More than anything, we want to be a source of information. Consumers discover the most interesting deals at a glance, encouraging suppliers to stay competitive. This is how we contribute to lower prices.”

“Last year, we at DPG Media drew attention to certain matters to make cancelling your insurance easier. This even required a change in the law, proving just how serious we are about putting the consumer first.” In the future, mijnvergelijker.be aims to further unburden consumers. “We dream of an AI application that would allow us to proactively contact people as soon as better rates are available. That’s not yet on the cards this year, but is definitely a goal for the future.”