The second period during which EU member states were required to reduce their natural gas consumption by 15 per cent compared to the average of the preceding five years concluded at the end of March, the Ministry of Energy announced on Tuesday.
It was reported that in Hungary, similarly to the previous year, consumption decreased by a fifth in the observed period, surpassing the obligatory prescribed level. The Ministry noted that between 2017 and 2022, domestic gas consumption, which had averaged over 10 billion cubic metres, decreased to nearly 8 billion cubic metres from April 2023 to March 2024.
It was further stated that due to the international energy crisis caused by the war, the European Union initially mandated a 15 per cent compulsory saving from August 2022 to the end of March 2023. Member states were reported to have reduced their gas consumption by an average of 17.7 per cent, outperforming this requirement,
with Hungary already surpassing the EU average by reducing consumption by about 20 per cent.
In the new cycle, Hungary essentially repeated its performance from the previous year. Against the baseline consumption level of 10.34 billion cubic metres, the targeted figure was 8.79 billion cubic metres. Once again, it was reported that the actual data showed significant improvement, with just over 8 billion cubic metres of natural gas consumed from April 2023 to the end of March 2024, representing a 20 per cent reduction.
The Ministry emphasized that the previously compulsory regulation would continue from April 2024 as a recommendation, stating that Hungary maintains the position that determining the energy mix should remain within national jurisdiction and that contrary proposals will not be supported by the country in the future. It was noted that Hungary has significantly exceeded the prescribed level of savings in two consecutive periods. Lower consumption was reported to increase supply security, protect the environment, and strengthen energy sovereignty by mitigating external exposures.
In 2023, the quantity of natural gas consumed in Hungary decreased compared to the previous year. Last year, it was reported that only 8.5 billion cubic metres of gas were consumed, which is 23 per cent less than 11 billion cubic metres in 2021. With the restart of the economy, businesses’ energy demands may increase again, but the majority of the achieved savings are likely to be preserved in the long term.
The government encourages conscious consumption through various measures.
The Solar Energy Plus Programme, launched in February, aims to assist families in green energy production and storage. The installation of modern solar panel systems, supported by up to 5 million forints, helps to permanently reduce household electricity bills. The Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme (EEO) was reported to have facilitated the implementation of nearly 4,400 certified measures so far, resulting in energy savings exceeding six petajoules.
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Sources: Hungarian Conservative/Ministry of Energy
