Hungary orders state institutions to reduce gas consumption

MOSCOW, 8 Sep — PRIME. The Hungarian government has ordered public institutions to reduce gas consumption by 25%, with the exception of hospitals and social institutions, said Gergely Guiyash, head of the country’s prime minister’s administration.

“It is necessary to reduce gas consumption as soon as possible … With the exception of hospitals and social institutions, we prescribe a 25% reduction in gas consumption in public institutions. At the next government meetings, all ministers will make proposals for their departments,” he said at a government briefing.

In July, the Hungarian government declared a state of emergency in the energy sector, which includes a package of seven measures: increasing the country’s gas production from 1.5 to 2 billion cubic meters, finding more than 700 million additional cubic meters of gas to fill storage facilities, a ban on the export of energy and firewood, increase in coal production, accelerate the restart of blocks of the Matra coal-fired power plant, extend the life of the Paks nuclear power plant and cut the preferential program of utility bills.