ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC AWARENESS IN SELECTED HUNGARIAN SETTLEMENTS
ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC AWARENESS IN SELECTED HUNGARIAN SETTLEMENTS

Summary/Abstract: Environmental and energy efficiency problems are important problems of our present. Despite a freeze on energy prices energetic self-preservation is a growing problem in Hungary also for households and local governments. Even though energy waste and poverty both typical for them. Energy efficiency as a problem has not only an environmental and social aspect (in a broader sense) in Hungary but another special aspect too. Eighty percent of Hungarian households are affected by energy poverty because they spend more than 10 % of their income on energy costs usually. According to a countrywide, representative poll of Hungarian Gallup Institute in 2007 the vast majority of the population is willing to make (not too significant) sacrifices for the environment, but many others are waiting for others help for solution. Only a small group of respondents think that each person has just as much responsibility as the local governments, environmental organizations and the government in solving environmental problems. Moreover in recent years - as a result of governmental savings - a start of a strong debt spiral can be observed in local governments. The municipalities’ material expenses, which are controlled by the State Audit, increased by 136,8 % between 2007 and 2010. Hungarian local governments spent 345 million € (totally) on energy expenditures in 2011 according to a presentation by former vice mayor of Gödöllő, Zsolt Fábián. Quite sure that rural areas and local governments are able to spread environmentally conscious and energy efficient development methods, because the citizen’s energy efficiency (and climate) awareness can be strengthened by local public institutions, mostly municipalities. In order to the local governments are increasingly able to meet energy efficiency requirements during everyday management creating energy efficient operation of public buildings is essential. That is why it would be necessary to insert energy efficiency requirements into local governmental (relevant) legal provisions, so this important requirement appears in everyday practice too. In order to support the above mentioned facts I used and evaluated two kind of questionnaires to examine the environmental and energy awareness of selected Hungarian settlements and their inhabitants.

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