ZAGREB, 28 July 2022 - The Croatian government on Thursday adopted energy saving guidelines from 1 August to 31 March next year, recommending the maximum heating temperature of 21 degrees Celsius, the cooling temperature of at least 25 degrees and greater use of LED lighting and public transport.

Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Davor Filipović said the guidelines were based on the European Commission's natural gas saving scheme.

On 20 July, the European Commission unveiled the "Save Gas for a Safe Winter" scheme to reduce gas demand by 15% between 1 August 2022 and 31 March 2023.

The government's guidelines recommend that the maximum indoor air temperature during the heating season should be 21 degrees Celsius and the cooling temperature should not be lower than 25 degrees.

Filipović noted that three to four per cent more energy was consumed for each degree of lower temperature.

The guidelines also recommend greater use of LED lighting and public transport. People are advised to use their household appliances during lower-tariff periods, he said.

The guidelines were drawn up by the Energy Directorate at the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development and the Hrvoje Požar Energy Institute.

Their aim is to encourage change in people's behaviour over a short term, because 40 per cent of total energy is consumed in buildings. As for long-term measures for energy efficiency, energy retrofitting of buildings and houses is recommended, Filipović said.

He expressed hope that both the private and the public sectors would comply with the guidelines.  "We should work together with the rest of Europe on how to achieve savings in the time ahead and should help diversify energy supply routes," Filipović said.

Addressing a news conference after the government meeting, Filipović said that even minor changes in the behaviour of citizens could bring about marked saving.

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ZAGREB, 24 Oct, 2021 - Croatian citizens set aside HRK 549 in savings a month on average, 15% more than last year, according to the findings of a survey done by the IMAS agency this past July and August.

The survey covered a little over 500 respondents and was commissioned by the Erste Group.

The findings show that men save HRK 593 a month on average and women HRK 507.

Eighty-two percent of men as well as women consider saving important or very important.

One of the aims of the survey was to find out how the long period of low interest impacted people's saving habits. According to the findings, 25% of respondents keep the money saved in their current account, 15% invested by buying real estate, and 37% did not change anything.

As for the reasons for saving, 67% respondents save for unexpected situations, 43% to have financial resources for themselves and their families, 18% for retirement, 16% for major purchases such as a home, car or mobile, 15% for travel, and 10% for education.

Forty percent of respondents save using savings accounts, while 3% invest in real estate.

In central and east Europe, Austrians save the most per month with €344 on average, €72 more than last year, followed by Slovaks with €123 and the Czech with €119, both €10 more than in 2020.

Besides Austrians, Hungarians had the highest annual increase in monthly savings, by €19 to €82.

Croats save €72 on average, Romanians €58 and Serbs €47. In all countries most respondents save for a rainy day, including 94% of Slovaks.

The findings show that the pandemic has not significantly impacted saving habits, with 77% of respondents saying they save about as much as before COVID-19, including 87% of those aged 15-34.

As to the impact of the pandemic on their general financial situation, 50% of respondents said it was mildly negative, 35% said it had no impact, and 10% said the impact was strong.

Seventy-one percent of Austrians and 67% of Czechs believe the pandemic had no impact on them, while 18% of Hungarians and Serbians as well as 13% of Romanians said it had a strong negative impact.

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ZAGREB, October 30, 2020 - Over the past year, Croatian citizens increased their savings by HRK 11 billion despite the pandemic and a weaker tourism season, with saving deposits across Croatia totalling HRK 52,784 per capita, the Chamber of Commerce (HGK) said on Friday ahead of World Savings Day.

Citing central bank data, the HGK said household deposits reached HRK 214.9 billion in August, up 5.4% on the year.

Across Croatia, deposits per capita amount to HRK 52,874, above last year's average of HRK 48,626, ranging from HRK 23,443 in Vukovar-Srijem County to HRK 78,681 in Istria County.

People on the coast, and partly in Zagreb, save based on tourism, which is why this year's disappointing season has changed some trends. 

Year on year, deposits increased in every county bar Osijek-Baranja, but those in continental Croatia increased by 7.5% and those along the coast by 2.5%. This, the HGK said, shows that the weaker tourist season resulted in weaker deposits in the coastal counties.

Interestingly, deposits along the coast increased less than in 2019, whereas in continental Croatia the growth rate was above the national average, the opposite of last year.

Central bank economist Vedran Sosic said there were no household saving estimates in Croatia, i.e. estimates of the part of one's income that is not spent, so they are based on trends in the value of financial assets and bank deposits as their biggest component.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)