The government in Budapest has ordered that all public institutions in Hungary adhere to a heating limit of 18 degrees Celsius for the upcoming winter. Gergely Gulyás, the minister responsible for the office of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, stated in a press briefing on Thursday: "In all public institutions, heating restrictions will be enforced, which stipulate that it cannot be warmer than 18 degrees Celsius in offices." However, the official acknowledged that some places may struggle to comply with the rule, especially those equipped with old heating systems or lacking thermostats.
Other measures announced by Gulyás include a mandatory reduction in gas consumption for state institutions, excluding hospitals and social housing facilities. According to the minister, the decision was made during a government meeting on Wednesday, where officials noted that most of Europe is already facing an energy shortage and an emerging economic crisis as a result.
In a more positive note, Gulyás reassured people that the gas reserves in the Central European country are currently at 65.4%. He added that Hungary is not negatively affected by the gas shortage like some other EU member states. He also mentioned that the sanctions imposed on Russia in light of its military operation in Ukraine have failed to achieve the desired outcome.
Gulyás pointed out that the government has initiated a fuel wood program as a measure to support the population. According to the official, every citizen is entitled to purchase at least 10 cubic meters of wood directly from forestry farms at a price set by the government. The minister revealed that Budapest is also seeking to increase the production of lignite over the coming months.
Last July, the Hungarian government declared a state of emergency regarding energy. Gas prices in Europe spiked in late February and remained significantly higher than last year's levels, contributing to an increase in overall inflation. Adding to the troubles, Russian energy giant Gazprom announced on Monday that it would not resume gas supplies to EU consumers via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, citing maintenance issues related to sanctions. Moscow clarified that the situation would not change until Western sanctions are lifted.
