Majority of Hungarians see no rise in utility bills

Fully 63 percent of respondents said they were paying the same amount for energy as last year, while 9 percent said they were paying less, KINCS said in a statement. The institute attributed the figures to the government’s scheme to keep household utility bills low and growing energy-conscious attitudes among Hungarians.

Altogether 90 percent of respondents said they were making sure to save electricity, while 84 percent were conscious about their water consumption. Fully 80 percent use energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances and 72 percent conserve energy with the regular maintenance of their heating systems, KINCS said.

Most of those surveyed by the institute said they used gas for heating. Firewood was the second most common heating method followed by district heating. Six out of ten respondents said they made a conscious effort to adjust the temperature of their homes.

KINCS conducted its representative survey of 1,000 adults by phone from Oct. 19 to 26.