Gulyas said the measure, applying to households that heat with gas, electricity or district heating, would save households around HUF 50bn.

Fielding questions, he said part of the cost of the measure would come from the state and part from revenue from the Robin Hood tax on energy companies.

The government announced a week earlier its intention to take over the cost to households of turning up the heat amid the extreme cold.

Energy Minister Csaba Lantos said households that heat with more than one source of energy would only be eligible for the discount for a single source. He added that around 2.9 million households heat with gas and 674,000 had district heating.

Households that heat with gas will get the discount automatically, while the discount will go to the building for multi-dwelling blocks that use district heating, he said. Consumers who want to apply the discount to their electricity bill must make a declaration by April 30, he added.

Lantos said the measure would ensure that higher than usual energy consumption for heating during the month did not put push any households over the eligibility threshold for the regulated utilities price scheme.

MVM's statement on 10 January regarding heating bills:

The annual discounted gas allowance never expires—we'll credit it to every customer's account in their yearly reconciliation bill at the latest. If you didn't use up the full discounted amount for a previous monthly billing period, we'll now add that unused portion to your available balance.

Good to know: More than 90% of our customers stay within the discounted usage band over the course of a year. For even monthly billing customers, this amount is divided proportionally by day.

Those on monthly meter reads or temperature-based billing get the largest share in January — nearly one-fifth of the annual cap.

Want to check your current discounted allowance? The online calculator makes it easy: mvmnext.hu/foldgaz/rogzitettkedvezmeny

If cold snaps and extra heating push your bill higher than expected and paying it in full is tough, you can request a payment plan by calling or visiting our customer service offices. We automatically send info on installment options with any large bills.

Current temperatures, factoring in recent years' winter averages and typical usage patterns, aren't extreme overall. Every winter brings weeks warmer or colder than average. In December, milder days—with temperatures several degrees above normal—meant household gas use was about 8% below last year's levels.

Due to the ongoing cold, we've extended the voluntary disconnection moratorium until January 31, 2026, so no residential customers will be disconnected during this period.
 

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.

Since the goal of XpatLoop is to keep readers well briefed, right across the spectrum of opinions, MTI items are shared to ensure readers are aware of all narratives within the local media.

XpatLoop believes in empowering readers to form their own views through complete and comprehensive coverage. To facilitate this XpatLoop has a balanced range of news partners, as you can see when you surf around XpatLoop.com
 

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