The Polish government approved a draft act to protect households from surging energy prices. The government intends to introduce one-off payments to households and vulnerable public institutions to cover the rising cost of heating. The proposed new measures are pending the parliament’s approval.
The support scheme is expected to start in October 2022 and last during the heating season until April 2023. It would introduce a mechanism that would ensure that households and vulnerable public institutions such as schools and hospitals that use pellets, heating oil, liquefied petroleum gas and wood for heating are compensated for surging costs of heating.
Poland’s Climate Minister Anna Moskwa said that the average support for a household resulting from the adopted bill will amount to 1,000-4,000 Polish zlotys (210-840 euros) for the whole heating season.
In July, Poland’s government approved an allowance of 3,000 zlotys (630 euros) to households that are heating with coal as prices climbed to a record high. Poland’s government decided to block imports of coal from Russia as a response to its aggression in neighbouring Ukraine.
According to the government, the cost of tax breaks, fuel subsidies for households, and other measures aimed at curbing energy prices will amount to 50 billion zlotys.