Electricity & gas in Hungary: your rights

The market

Households may leave universal service (MVM Next) for a competitive supplier, but the fixed 'rezsicsökkentés' price only applies while you are supplied by the universal service provider. Switching away means paying market prices.

Energy regulator

Magyar Energetikai és Közmű-szabályozási Hivatal (MEKH)

Dispute resolution

Békéltető testületek (regionális békéltető testületek)

First complain to your supplier or grid operator; they must answer in writing within 15 days. If you are not satisfied, you can go to the conciliation board for your place of residence or to the consumer protection authority.

Switching supplier

To leave MVM Next's universal service, give 30 days' written notice or authorise your new supplier to handle the switch. The supplier and grid operator carry out the switch free of charge. Make sure your new contract is in place.

Price rises

Universal-service prices for households are official prices set by ministerial decree, not by the supplier. Changes to the supplier's business rules need MEKH approval and must not significantly disadvantage customers; you are informed within 30 days on the website and by e-mail/app.

Regulated price

Households in universal service pay the reduced price up to the average consumption: 2,523 kWh electricity per meter per year and 63,645 MJ (at least 1,729 m³) gas per supply point per year (1 Aug–31 Jul). Above that you pay the higher 'residential market price'.

Help if money is tight

Large families get extra reduced-price gas (at least +600 m³/year for three children, +300 m³ per further child; apply at the government office). Daily use of certain medical devices gives +1,697 kWh electricity. Vulnerable customers can get instalments, deferral or a free prepayment meter.

Protection against cut-off

A household can be cut off only after more than 60 days' payment delay, two written notices (the second by registered post) and a failed attempt to agree instalments or deferral. People whose life or health depends on electricity cannot be disconnected. After paying everything, reconnection is requested within 24 hours.

If your supplier goes bust

If an electricity supplier can no longer supply its universal-service customers, MEKH designates a supplier of last resort (végső menedékes) under Section 51(1) of the Electricity Act (VET). In 2021 MVM Next took over a failed supplier's customers at the regulated price for a fixed period.

Power cut

Report power cuts to the grid operator for your area, not to your supplier; you find its name on the bill's itemised page. The fault lines below are answered 24/7. Have your supply point ID ready.

Cooling-off period

For contracts signed away from business premises (e.g. at your door) or at a distance (phone, online), Govt. Decree 45/2014 gives you 14 days to withdraw without giving a reason; for service contracts the period runs from signing. If supply started at your request, you may still cancel but pay for what was supplied.

Smart meter

Grid operators must fit a smart meter for new or upgraded connections of 3×32 A or more, when rooftop solar is connected, or if you used 5,000 kWh or more last year. Others can request one for a fee. A right to refuse was not found.

Solar panels

Home generators up to 50 kVA need a grid-use contract and a two-way meter first. Depending on eligibility set by law, you are billed on the annual net balance (szaldó) or gross, with fed-in power bought at a regulated price.

Energy sharing and communities

Hungarian electricity law recognises energy communities (energiaközösség). Since 1 July 2021 (Act LV of 2021) renewable energy communities (megújulóenergia-közösség) also exist: communities that produce, use, store or sell renewable electricity, under the same rules as energy communities.

• MEKH must monitor contracts for trading and sharing renewable electricity and report every two years to the minister on barriers that hold them back. (mekh.hu)

Heating without the gas grid

District heating (távhő) is a local public utility; about 650,000 homes in 95 towns use it. Households pay an official (regulated) price. Each year MEKH prepares a proposal for household district-heating charges by 31 August.

• Complaints about a district-heating company breaking its business rules go to the notary (jegyző) of your local council. (mekh.hu)
• Billing, splitting of charges between flats, meter maintenance or notice of planned works: complain to the county or Budapest government office (kormányhivatal). (mekh.hu)
• In a block of flats, how heating costs are split between flats (e.g. by heated volume or heat cost allocators) is set in the building's rules and decided by the owners' meeting; complain first to the building's representative. (www-wb.mekh.hu)

Back-billing and estimated bills

Complain about a wrong or disputed bill first to your supplier (it must reply within 15 days). Household billing, settlement and metering disputes, including faulty meters, then go to the county or Budapest government office (kormányhivatal), not to MEKH.

• When you sign an electricity or gas contract you choose how you are billed: usually either by reporting your own meter readings periodically or by instalment bills (részszámla). (www-wb.mekh.hu)

Prepayment meters

Prepayment (top-up) meters exist for electricity and gas. A socially vulnerable customer can ask for one instead of disconnection; the supplier can require one if you build up debt and break a payment agreement. Anyone else can ask too, but pays for fitting and the meter.

• For customers who are not vulnerable, fitting a prepayment meter also needs the grid operator's consent to the meter change. (mekh.hu)

Energy costs for tenants

If you rent, either the owner stays the contract holder and you are only the payer, or you sign in your own name with the owner's written consent. A change of user must be reported to the supplier within 15 or 30 days; missing it can mean a penalty or disconnection.

• At move-in and move-out, write a handover record with both parties' meter readings; the supplier issues a final bill to the previous user based on the agreed or read meter reading. (www-wb.mekh.hu)
• The change of user can also be reported through the government's e-bejelentő service (online or at a government window) if the supplier has joined it. (www-wb.mekh.hu)

Vulnerable and medical customers

You can register as a protected customer (védendő fogyasztó) for electricity and gas if you are socially in need (e.g. receiving certain benefits) or living with a disability. Apply to your electricity and gas grid operator; the status must be renewed each year by 31 March.

• Disabled customers can get monthly meter reading at home, cash payment at home, a lower-mounted meter, help reading the bill (e.g. large print) and continuous supply where a cut-off would endanger life or health. (mekh.hu)
• People with a disability qualify on a doctor's certificate, blind person's allowance, disability support, or if a cut-off would directly endanger someone in the household (e.g. a ventilator). (mekh.hu)
• If your condition is not expected to improve, you do not need a new certificate each year. (mekh.hu)

Grid connection

After you apply for a new connection, the grid operator has 8 days to accept, refuse or ask for missing documents, then sends a detailed offer with costs (usually valid 30 days). Connection fees are set by MEKH decree; discounted or free connections exist under conditions.

• Electricity: the connection point is built within 15 days of the public network being available. Gas: the offer must give a capacity date no later than 60 days, not counting pipeline building and permits. (www-wb.mekh.hu)
• If the technical conditions are met, the operator carries out the technical handover within 8 days; the meter can be fitted once you have a grid-use and a supply contract. You pay for the meter box and the wiring on your side. (www-wb.mekh.hu)
• Complaints about technical and connection matters go to MEKH, after you have first tried to settle them with the operator. (mekh.hu)

Consumer organisation

Országos Fogyasztóvédelmi Egyesület