The reduction in utility costs will remain, everyone is entitled to discounted gas and electricity prices up to average consumption - this is what the government commissioner responsible for maintaining the utility reduction spoke about. Szilárd Németh said: because of the war and sanctions, energy prices in Europe are rising drastically, so they cannot provide everyone with an unlimited utility reduction. At the same time, the measure does not affect three quarters of consumers. He added: a household saves more than HUF 150,000 per month on gas and electricity bills up to the average consumption, M1 News reported.

Everyone is eligible for the utility reduction up to the average consumption - this is the essence of the change that will come into effect on August 1. The government commissioner responsible for maintaining the overhead reduction spoke about this on the M1. In other words, those who use electricity or gas according to the average will continue to receive energy at a discount, while those who consume above the average can only buy it at the market price. Szilárd Németh added: due to the protracted war and Brussels sanctions, energy prices are rising drastically throughout Europe, and an energy crisis has developed.

" When we said that we would protect the overhead reduction, we also created an overhead fund in the 2022 and 2023 budgets, which created the background for maintaining the overhead reduction. Now we are saying that this is the overhead fund, and in this situation, when the world market price of gas has increased by six and a half times compared to last year, and that of electricity by five times, then we can no longer maintain that everyone receives unlimited electricity and water at reduced overhead prices. gas," said the government commissioner.

The statistics record 5.6 million electricity consumers, of which 4.2 million use average or below average electricity. In the case of gas, 2.6 million of the 3.5 million consumers are considered average users or below. That is,

for the majority of families, the utility reduction will remain at 100% even after the first of August.

In Hungary, the average monthly consumption limit for electricity is 210 kilowatt hours/month, which is 2,523 kilowatt hours per year, and for natural gas, it is 144 cubic meters/month, or 1,729 cubic meters per year. This means that an average consumer today pays HUF 7,750 per month for electricity. If there was no utility reduction, this amount would be HUF 50,833. The average consumption of gas is HUF 15,833 per month, which would be HUF 131,444 without utility reduction.

It is important that large families continue to receive gas at a discount. For them, the consumption limit is much higher than for other homeschooling, and in addition, they are entitled to an extra 300 cubic meters of gas consumption per year for each child.

Szilárd Németh said: up to average consumption, the savings amount to 158,691 forints per month, 1.9 million forints per year; that's how much money people still have.

The government is doing everything to ensure that the necessary energy is available for families and the economy in winter, said the Minister of Finance, Mihály Varga, at a health industry factory inauguration. For this, it is necessary that the gas transport to Hungary is continuous, and the storage facilities must be filled to the maximum extent possible.

„Currently, our storage tanks are already 44 percent full, and the Hungarian government will do everything in the coming weeks to ensure most of the annual need.

The further steps will take place, there are no financial or budgetary obstacles to this. We will provide the resources necessary for this, as it is a fact and true that Hungarians do not want to freeze in winter, we do not want the economy to stop, and we do not want to lose the jobs we have created in recent years, "said Mihály Varga .

As for the prices of gas and electricity consumed by families in the event of excess consumption, it will largely depend on the development of market prices, the exchange rate of the forint, the war situation and, of course, on how much who will be able to moderate their own consumption.

Source: M1 / ​​hirado.hu

PHOTO: MTI/TIBOR OLÁH