Hungary: Registry obligations, modification of the deadline for fulfilment of the energy audit, entering the institution of the energy specialist advisers
The Energy Efficiency Act, which implements the Energy Efficiency Directive of the European Union in the Hungarian legislation, has been modified based on the practice experience of the enforcement of the Act.
Registry and registration
Large enterprises according to the Act must register on the homepage of the Hungarian Energy and Public Utility Regulatory Authority until 30 June every year. In case of non-fulfilment or delay of the registration the Authority sends a written demand to the large enterprise with a deadline and can impose a fine maximum of 1 million HUF (approximately EUR 3 247) which can be repeated. The fee of the registration is 100 000 HUF (approximately EUR 345). The Authority keep records if the registered large enterprises and publish its name and seat on its homepage.
Change of the deadline for the completion of energy audits
According to the Act large enterprises must carry out an energy audit every four years. The first audit shall be completed until 30 June of the following year after the obligation to register as a large enterprise. In case of large enterprises which were obliged to complete the audit on 5 December 2015 and has not been freed from the obligation, the deadline for completion of their second audit obligation is 5 December 2019. In cases of infringement of laws, a fine maximum of 10 million HUF (approximately EUR 32 500) can be imposed on large enterprises and can be repeated. However as transitional measure, the Authority will not impose until 30 June 2017.
Energy specialist advisers
As new regulation of the Act enterprises whose average energy use in the last 3 years prior the given year exceeds 400 000 kWh electrical energy, 100 000 m3 natural gas or 3 400 GJ heat, are obliged to make use of an independent energy specialist adviser and inform the Authority about it. In case of the infringement of these obligations the Authority may impose a fine maximum of 2 million HUF (approximately EUR 6 500), which can be repeated with an amount of 150 % of the previously imposed fine but maximum of 3 million HUF (approximately 9 750).
Obligation to install a submeter
Enterprises obliged to make use of an energy specialist adviser must install a submeter for the monitoring the energy process, savings in connection with the equipment and technical processes stipulated in the directive of the Head of the Authority after 1 January 2018.
Source: Act LVII of 2015 on Energy efficiency