The Polish government has passed a draft law on a new scheme to support energy consumers, including the so-called energy voucher, Poland’s deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski has announced.
The new steps were approved at a government meeting in Katowice, a city in southern Poland on Tuesday, said Gawkowski, who is also the minister of digital affairs.
“We talked about energy support for Polish women and men. The government has made a good decision, and this support will be provided,” he told reporters after the government meeting.
Under the bill adopted on Tuesday, the maximum energy price for Polish households will be capped at 500 zlotys (€116) per megawatt-hour (MWh) for the second half of 2024, up from 412 zlotys (€96) currently, for consumers who do not exceed the set limits.
The maximum power price for local government units, public utilities and small and medium-sized enterprises will be set at 693 zlotys (€160) per MWh.
Energy voucher
The new scheme will be supplemented with an energy voucher, a cash benefit, available to less well-off households to mitigate the increase in energy prices.
Households with an income below 2,500 zlotys (€580) per person in a single-person household or below 1,700 zlotys (€395) per person in a multi-person household will qualify for the voucher.
In the case of a one-person household, the voucher will amount to 300 zlotys (€70), whereas a household consisting of two to three people will receive 400 zlotys (EUR 93), a household with four to five people – 500 zlotys (€116) and a household of at least 6 people – 600 zlotys (€140).
The energy voucher will be doubled for households that use electricity as their heating source.
The new solution may cover at least 3.5 million households, Paulina Hennig-Kloska, the climate and environment minister, said earlier.
The support system is expected to cost Poland 8.2 billion zlotys (€1.9 bln). According to the climate and environment ministry, most household energy consumers can expect a close to 29% rise in their electricity bills in the second half of 2024, compared to the first half.
Additionally, gas fuel bills are projected to increase by 15%.
“We talked about energy support for Polish women and men. The government has made a good decision, and this support will be provided,” he told reporters after the government meeting.
Under the bill adopted on Tuesday, the maximum energy price for Polish households will be capped at 500 zlotys (€116) per megawatt-hour (MWh) for the second half of 2024, up from 412 zlotys (€96) currently, for consumers who do not exceed the set limits.
The maximum power price for local government units, public utilities and small and medium-sized enterprises will be set at 693 zlotys (€160) per MWh.
Energy voucher
The new scheme will be supplemented with an energy voucher, a cash benefit, available to less well-off households to mitigate the increase in energy prices.
Households with an income below 2,500 zlotys (€580) per person in a single-person household or below 1,700 zlotys (€395) per person in a multi-person household will qualify for the voucher.
In the case of a one-person household, the voucher will amount to 300 zlotys (€70), whereas a household consisting of two to three people will receive 400 zlotys (EUR 93), a household with four to five people – 500 zlotys (€116) and a household of at least 6 people – 600 zlotys (€140).
The energy voucher will be doubled for households that use electricity as their heating source.
The new solution may cover at least 3.5 million households, Paulina Hennig-Kloska, the climate and environment minister, said earlier.
The support system is expected to cost Poland 8.2 billion zlotys (€1.9 bln). According to the climate and environment ministry, most household energy consumers can expect a close to 29% rise in their electricity bills in the second half of 2024, compared to the first half.
Additionally, gas fuel bills are projected to increase by 15%.
