The security of Hungary’s electricity supply has come into sharp focus. New regulations published on 1 August 2026 allow the transmission system operator, in the event of an emergency or the threat of one, to request or instruct large consumers to reduce their electricity consumption. If an affected consumer repeatedly fails to comply, it may even be temporarily disconnected from the electricity supply.

The provisions directly apply to consumers with a contracted capacity of at least 0.5 MW. However, the current situation sends a clear message to the entire real estate market: responsible and conscious energy use is no longer simply a matter of sustainability or cost optimisation, but also an important means of safeguarding the security of supply.

Commercial properties, including office buildings and shopping centres, are significant energy consumers. Many of their building systems operate around the clock, while property managers must continuously meet tenant requirements, maintain visitor comfort and ensure the safe operation of the buildings.

We discussed the options available to property managers and how ESTON’s Property Management team has prepared for the situation with Dániel Pintér, Head of Property and Project Management at ESTON.

A Multi-Stage Strategy for Reducing Consumption

Even before the government measures were announced, ESTON’s Property Management team had begun exploring potential solutions for reducing electricity consumption. The resulting strategy sets out the measures that can be implemented at each stage, their expected impact and their effect on building occupants.

The first step is to introduce measures that can be implemented quickly and have little or no impact on the tenant or visitor experience. These may include switching off non-essential advertising, decorative and information lighting, as well as reorganising certain cleaning and operational processes.

Such measures are almost unnoticeable to building users but generally reduce consumption by only 1–2% on their own. Achieving more substantial savings therefore requires a review of the building’s more energy-intensive systems.

“The initial measures do not directly affect building users. Beyond a certain point, however, we need to adjust systems that may influence tenant or visitor comfort. This is where the property manager’s expertise and in-depth knowledge of the building’s operation become particularly important,” said Dániel Pintér.

Greater Savings May Affect Comfort

The next stage involves examining areas such as the cooling and lighting of common spaces, the performance of central building systems and their operating hours.

Adjusting the cooling temperature by just one degree Celsius can reduce consumption by several percentage points. With a three-degree adjustment, savings of more than 10% may be achievable, depending on the building’s technical characteristics, occupancy and external conditions.

These interventions may, however, have a direct impact on occupants’ comfort. The property manager’s role is therefore not simply to reduce energy use, but to strike the right balance between energy efficiency, safe operation and an appropriate level of service.

Multiple Tenants, Multiple Expectations

In a property occupied by a single organisation, a central decision on reducing consumption can be made relatively quickly. The situation is considerably more complex in a multi-tenant office building or shopping centre.

Individual tenants may have different operating hours, technical requirements and comfort expectations. A higher indoor temperature may be acceptable to one company but adversely affect another tenant’s operations or workflows. Their priorities regarding energy savings and their willingness to cooperate may also vary.

“In multi-tenant properties, the issue cannot be resolved with a single decision. The property manager needs to understand how each tenant operates, maintain an ongoing dialogue with them and develop a solution that delivers genuine savings without making it impossible for building users to carry out their activities,” Dániel Pintér emphasised.

Technical measures alone are therefore not enough to ensure successful implementation. Clear communication, tenant engagement and jointly agreed priorities are equally essential.

There Is No One-Size-Fits-All Solution

Energy-saving opportunities must be assessed individually for every property. In a shopping centre, for example, particular attention must be paid to tenants that sell or store food. Changes to cooling and mechanical systems must not compromise the quality of goods or compliance with food safety requirements.

In office buildings, the assessment must instead consider work processes, different working hours, current occupancy levels and individual tenant expectations.

This requires meticulous and continuous work. In addition to analysing technical data and electricity consumption profiles, property managers must have a detailed understanding of the daily operation of both the building and its individual leased premises. ESTON’s team therefore evaluates the feasible measures, their expected savings and their operational implications separately for each managed property.

Annual Electricity Demand Approaching 45.6 GWh

Based on the available data, the annual electricity consumption of the 14 retail properties managed by ESTON is expected to approach 45.6 GWh. This represents an average of approximately 3.8 GWh per month.

At this scale, even a reduction of just a few percentage points represents a significant amount of electricity. A 1% saving would equal nearly 456 MWh annually, while a 10% reduction would amount to approximately 4.6 GWh.

The changes introduced by ESTON last week and on Monday are projected to deliver electricity savings of 1 GWh.

By coordinating building-specific measures—such as reviewing operating hours, optimising lighting and mechanical systems, adjusting cooling settings and actively involving tenants—double-digit percentage reductions in consumption may be achievable at certain properties.

Responsible Property Management Is in Everyone’s Interest

The current energy situation highlights that property management involves far more than the day-to-day operation of technical systems. Property managers need to respond quickly, align the interests of owners, tenants and operations teams, and develop measures that deliver measurable results.

ESTON is committing significant professional resources to achieving the greatest possible energy savings across its managed portfolio, while maintaining the safe operation of its buildings and an appropriate standard of tenant services.

“We believe that real estate market participants will act responsibly and, wherever possible, contribute voluntarily to reducing electricity consumption. If every property manager implements the professionally justified measures available within their own portfolio, we can not only optimise the operation of individual buildings but also support the stability of the Hungarian economy and the country’s energy supply,” Dániel Pintér concluded.

The regulatory section of this article is based on Government Decree 118/2026 (VIII. 1.), published in the Hungarian Gazette.