The number of residential air conditioners in Hungary could increase by one million – so let’s choose wisely

According to the forecast of MAVIR, which manages the domestic electricity system, in addition to the existing number of nearly one and a half million units, Hungarian households may install another half million air conditioners by 2030, but assuming a more dynamic surge, an increase of nearly one million cannot be ruled out. In five years, as many as 2.4 million devices could be operating in domestic residential properties[1]. Of course, this does not mean that in half a decade, half of the 4.6 million housing stock will be equipped with air conditioning – since it is not uncommon for multiple devices to be installed in a property – but it is certain that the proportion shown in the latest 2022 census statistics of the Central Statistical Office, namely that 28 percent of Hungarian homes have air conditioning, will increase significantly.

More and more people are using air conditioning for heating

The data from the statistical office shows[2] that the territorial distribution of air conditioning varies greatly, with climatic and income conditions also playing a role. In Budapest, more than a third of homes (37%) have such devices, and an even higher proportion is found around Lake Balaton and Lake Velence. Pest and Csongrád-Csanád counties, as well as other areas of the Great Plain, where the highest temperatures in the country can be measured in summer, also stand out. The fewest air conditioners are found in mountainous regions, such as Nógrád and Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén counties – basically due to the topography and lower summer heat load.

“People are increasingly adapting to hot summers: today it is not uncommon for someone to not only cool, but also heat with an air conditioner during a temporary period – mainly due to the uncertainty related to energy prices,”

– said József Falvi, sales manager of LG’s air conditioning business in Hungary.