Next year, district heating fees for natural gas-based service providers may fall to almost half of the current level, the Ministry of Energy announced, adding that the ministry will set the fees effective for three quarters starting in January for predictable and cost-saving operation.

They wrote: Hungarian families can still heat their homes with district heating at reduced utility prices. However, the sanctioned energy crisis and the drastic price increase of energy carriers imposed a significant additional burden on institutions and companies that purchase district heating services.

Compared to the end of the summer, the stock market price of natural gas is developing more favorably. The reference molecular price to be used in district heating pricing was determined by averaging the values ​​of a longer period, instead of five consecutive trading days according to the previous practice, by the Hungarian Energy and Utilities Regulatory Office.

A priority goal was the elimination and mitigation of risks arising from fluctuations in the market price of natural gas and the exchange rate, they explained.

It was announced: non-residential consumers will be able to use the district heating service at a cheaper price next year. Based on the decision of the Ministry of Energy, the new fees will remain in effect for three quarters, and will not change from the first of January to the end of September. In the case of natural gas-based district heating providers, the so-called separately managed institutional fees and the prices of other users can be almost halved in most settlements, they emphasized.

It was indicated that the prices before the energy crisis will not return in 2023, but according to the possibilities and compared to expectations, the management scope of the local governments will increase significantly.

Institutional and other users can use the district heating service for the greater half of the heating season much cheaper than in the last quarter of this year. Market participants will be able to find out the exact heat prices in December - read the announcement of the Ministry of Energy.

MTI

Cover photo: Attila Kovács / MTI