Hungary reduces gas consumption above EU expectations

The energy ministry reported on Tuesday that since last April, Hungary has reduced its gas consumption by 20 percent, similar to the previous one-year period, as against the European requirement of 15 percent.

The ministry said that between 2017 and 2022, the country used an average of 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, which has now been reduced to nearly 8 billion cubic meters.

The ministry’s statement added that other EU members reduced their consumption by an average 17.7 percent.

The statement noted that the EU directive introduced in August 2022 in response to an international energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, will be a recommendation for members.

The ministry added in its statement,

“Hungary’s consistent position is that defining a member’s energy mix should stay a national competency; Hungary will not support any proposals that contradict that position.”

As we wrote a few days earlier, government-close media is outraged by the USA’s statement that Orbán keeps Hungary in Russian gas dependence; details are HERE.

Also, we wrote earlier that gas supplies from Türkiye to Hungary started on the 1st of April, details HERE.