The Hungarian government has officially announced the introduction of a January energy price cap aimed at protecting households from higher utility bills caused by unusually cold weather, the Ministry of Energy said on Tuesday.
According to the ministry, extreme temperatures in January would have significantly increased household energy consumption and costs. To prevent this, the government introduced a temporary price cap that applies to all residential consumers, regardless of heating or billing method.
Households will receive a 30 per cent volume-based discount on January gas or electricity consumption, while district heating users will benefit from a 30 per cent price reduction. The government is assuming a total burden of 50 billion forints under the scheme. The discount will appear automatically on gas and district heating bills, while those wishing to apply it to electricity bills must submit a declaration to their provider by 30 April.
The measure applies to residential consumers, including tenants of state- or municipally owned housing. Special provisions also cover buildings with shared meters, which are common in apartment blocks.
District heating providers and gas suppliers will inform customers directly about the details of the discount in February. Prepaid meter users will receive a one-off support payment of 7,000 forints for both gas and electricity.
The ministry said the price cap ensures that, on an annual basis, households remain within regulated consumption thresholds, even when accounting for special allowances such as those available to large families.
The government reiterated that Hungary continues to guarantee some of the lowest household electricity and gas prices in Europe and remains committed to maintaining the utility cost reduction scheme. It warned that proposed European Union restrictions on Russian energy imports would jeopardize the system and could triple household utility bills, adding that the government would use all available means to protect current measures.
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