New rules in the programme Clean Air come into force in the spring 2025. Sounds innocent? Nothing more wrong! These amendments, introduced by National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, they can virtually revolutionize the way Polish houses are heating, and for many owners – they mean considerable problems and additional costs. Is government policy going to destruct fireplaces? Looks like it is!
Programme Clean Air upon return after the break due to the detection of irregularities, it introduces much stricter criteria. From March 31, 2025, applicants for backing for heat exchange will be forced to permanent disconnection of fireplaces. This is not a joke. Not adequate declaration – will be required chimney protocol confirming the physical removal of the fireplace from the installation.
This decision is controversial. Manufacturers of fireplaces and energy manufacture experts beat the alarm. Wojciech Perekrepresenting the run Wood affirmative Energy, rightly notes that this request contradicts the EU ecodesign directives. Modern fireplaces, gathering emanation standards and equipped with filters, could be an ecological origin of heat. What's the point?
The arguments of the fireplace supporters are very strong. Number one: energy security. Fireplace is an emergency heat origin in case of power outages or main heating failure. In times of uncertainty in the energy market, it seems unreasonable to destruct this option. Second: Economics. For many families, wood fireplaces are a way of lowering heating bills, especially in the face of rising gas and electricity prices. Obliging Poles to quit a cheaper origin of heat is simply a shot in the ft in a time of economical crisis.
What's worse, it's not the end of problems for the fireplace owners. Since 2025 all over the country enter into force Ecodesign restrictive provisions. All installations will gotta meet strict standards. For many people this means a necessity retrofitting or complete replacement of the fireplace.
What about penalties? Mandates for failure to meet the fresh requirements may be between 500 and even 5000 PLN. It's not a joke! In addition, in the case of repeated infringements, sanctions may be imposed on respective occasions.
The situation worsens no uniform provisions. Various provinces have different anti-smog resolutions. For example, in Małopolska and Silesia regulations are already very strict, residents of Lubuskie voivodship have more time to adapt to the fresh regulations (until 2027), and the Warmia-Masurian and Podlaskie provinces have inactive not adopted any resolutions. The hardest is in Krakowwhere the fireplaces have been completely banned.
The question is: is the government truly fighting smog, or is it trying to limit the anticipation of heating houses? Experts are talking about paradox: green technologies are promoted on the 1 hand, and fireplaces are eliminated, which could meet the standards after modernization.
For many homeowners, the decision to resign from the fireplace is difficult. It is worth carefully examining all options. Is the grant from ‘Clean Air’ Is it truly worth it? Is it worth giving up an independent heat origin for financial benefits that can be debated?
Changes to the programme Clean Air It's a revolution. In the coming months, we are going to have a heated discussion about the fresh rules and their impact on all of us. Let us be vigilant and respond to these changes, due to the fact that they concern us straight – homeowners and people who want to breathe clean air. It's not just a question of ecology, it's besides a question of economics and security.
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The fireplaces are gone? A chimney protocol will be required to confirm the removal of the fireplace
