Already 30,000 homes have received free loft insulation under the EKR programme.

According to the verified energy savings results of the Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme (EKR) programme, 30,000 residential buildings with a total surface area of approximately 4.4 million square metres received free loft insulation in the first few months, according to verified energy savings, announced Építési Vállalkozók Országos Szakszövetsége (ÉVOSZ) on Wednesday.

This results in verified energy savings of approximately 2 million gigajoules (GJ), which corresponds to savings of approximately 60 million cubic metres of natural gas per year. Thermal insulation has a positive effect over a period of 25 years, so the programme also contributes to a lasting reduction in the country's utility costs.

In their announcement, they recalled that a new phase of domestic building energy modernisation had begun with the tightening of the EKR law. The regulations, which came into force in the middle of the year, place significant savings contribution expectations on large energy traders, which provides an opportunity for the population to access building energy upgrades free of charge or at a significant discount.

Half of the projects were implemented in the North-East and North Great Plain regions.

According to data from the ÉVOSZ Domestic Building Materials Manufacturers Association, the northern lowlands and north-eastern regions of the country, and smaller settlements within these areas, are particularly active in the programme. Fifty-three per cent of the energy efficiency upgrades implemented to date have been carried out in these areas, with more than 2.3 million square metres of attic insulation installed in 16,000 residential buildings.

It is typical that good news spreads quickly in smaller communities, and where residents see the smooth process, they quickly place their trust in the free opportunity. This is also a positive development because the most outdated buildings in terms of energy efficiency are found in these types of communities, according to the announcement.