Election 2018 – DK vows cuts in utility prices

The Democratic Coalition (DK) will grant two cubic metres of water, 15 to 20 cubic metres of natural gas and 50 KWH electricity free of charge to every household, if it comes to power after the April 8 general election, the leader of the opposition party said on Friday.

DK’s utilities scheme envisages keeping the current monthly utility prices for the average consumption of 15-20 cubic metres of water, 80-100 cubic metres of gas and 200 KWH electricity per household, Ferenc Gyurcsány said, adding that for consumption above those limits much higher prices would apply.

He criticised the government’s utility price cuts for having benefitted large consumers.

Arguing in favour of DK’s proposal, Gyurcsány said that 900,000 people are living in homes without appropriate heating.

Citing statistics by the Hungarian Social Forum, he said that so far 149 people had frozen to death just this winter.

Gyurcsány was asked about the 30 percent average increase in gas prices and the 10-14 percent increase in electricity prices just after his victory in the 2006 election.

He said that at that time oil prices had stood at 140-150 dollars per barrel on the global market for which consumers “had to pay”. At present, however, Hungarians are paying higher amounts than what the world market prices would justify, he said.

Ruling Fidesz responded as saying that the Gyurcsány government had increased threefold the household price of gas and twofold the price of electricity.

If elected into power, “Gyurcsány and his party would reverse utility price cut measures and put Hungarian families again at the mercy of foreign energy companies,” the party said in a statement.

featured image: MTI

Source: MTI