Fogyasztóvédők Magyarországi Egyesülete

Public gas supply

The supply of gas may be concluded as a general or specific public contract.
If the consumer moves to the place of consumption, the provider must notify the date from which it does not take advantage of the gas, otherwise the nearest meter reading he is required to pay consumption charges;
The customer must notify the provider, if moved to a place where gas supply is activated and wants to use it.
If the consumer does not need the gas, he/she also has to notify the provider.
The supplied gas must meet strict quality requirements, penalty entails, if the gas does not meet the technical specifications or requirements of the national standards.

The natural gas market in Hungary was liberalised in the year of 2009. Since then it is possible to change provider by the rules of law.

Compared to the utility service, it is a major difference that only part of the users are eligible for universal service. Users not eligible for universal service can satisfy their natural gas purchase requirements on the liberalised market, by purchasing gas from natural gas dealers. Users  eligible for the universal service can decide whether or not to operate on the liberalised market or stay with the universal service provider. The universal service provider having an operational licence on the  territory is obliged to supply natural gas to those users who intend to purchase it within the framework of universal service. In the universal service, the universal service provider purchases, stores, supplies and  istributes natural gas within the framework of gas supply and provides a universal service to users eligible for it. In order to provide this service, it enters into a contract with the appropriate licensees on gas  urchases, transportation and storage and with the natural gas distributor on the use of the distribution network. In addition, the universal service provider may also enter into a contract with the generator for  the purchase of natural gas.

Hungarian Energy Office (HEO) issues two types of licenses for natural gas trading activity, one for universal service providers and another for natural gas traders. Universal service  providers are regional suppliers alike their legal predecessors, public utility suppliers are obliged to conclude contract with users entitled for universal service. All resolutions with regard to universal service  providers and their supply area are available on HEO’s homepage 

Natural gas traders may sell natural gas as a product through existing natural gas transmission and distribution systems all over Hungary  under free market conditions. At HEO’s homepage can be found the list and availabilities of licensed undertakings  Users entitled for universal service (users/customers)  All residential customers and other  users with purchased capacities not exceeding 20 m3/h are users entitled for universal service. Users entitled for universal service may decide whether to buy natural gas  from a natural gas trader on the free market or from their universal service provider. If they opt for a natural gas trader, they still have an opportunity to return to the universal service provider. A user may choose  from any undertaking having a license for natural gas trade in Hungary and any undertaking having a license for universal service for the given consumption place (supply area). Users exceeding 20 m3/h but  not exceeding 100 m3/h consumption and users having license for district heat production as specified in a separate statutory provision are entitled for universal service temporarily until 30 June 2010. These  users will cease to be entitled for universal service after that date.