Poles will pay more for electricity. As of July, the power fee returns, even 16 zł per month!

Since July 2025 millions of Polish households gotta prepare for additional charges in electricity bills. After months of temporary suspension, the power levy, which has been part of the government's energy shield, returns. This is the end of 1 of the key reliefs to defend Poles from drastic increases in energy prices. On average, the average Polish household will feel an increase in bills by about 11 PLN per month, but for those who consume the most electricity, additional costs can scope even 16 PLN. This change means that over PLN 190 will vanish from the pockets of Poles all year, affecting home budgets in the face of rising inflation and another expenditures. The Energy Regulatory Office (URE) has already set fresh rates that will enter into force as early as July, signaling the end of the era of wide subsidies and gradual return to marketplace realities.

End of relief: Why is the power charge coming back?

The suspension of the power levy was part of a broader government package aimed at mitigating the effects of the energy crisis that hit Europe and Poland. For the past fewer months, Polish families have been relieved to see that their electricity bills do not contain this additional item, which usually constitutes a fixed component of electricity costs. It was 1 of many shielding mechanisms to aid Poles last the period of sharp price increases. However, at the end of June 2025, provisions temporarily blocking the charge expired.

As of July 1, 2025, the power charge will automatically be reintroduced to all electricity bills, regardless of whether the recipients have prepared for this additional expenditure. This Decision, approved by Energy Regulatory Authority, is simply a clear signal that the period of protective energy buffers is gradually coming to an end. Poles will gotta bear the full costs of moving the national energy strategy again, without additional forms of support from the state in this peculiar area. This is simply a strategical decision of the government to gradually reconstruct marketplace price mechanisms, although this will be a burden for many households.

How much will you pay? circumstantial rates for each holding

The monthly capacity fee is not uniform for all. It depends straight on the yearly electricity consumption of the household. The Energy Regulatory Office (URE) has divided the recipients into 4 precise tariff groups, each of which has its own net rate assigned, which means that accounts may vary importantly according to consumer habits.

• The most cost-effective, consuming farms up to 500 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, they will pay the least – their additional cost will be only PLN 2,86 per month.
• Families with yearly consumption in the scope 500 to 1200 kWhThey'll pay PLN 6.86 in addition to each month.
• The vast majority of Polish households whose yearly consumption varies 1200 to 2800 kWh, will pay PLN 11,14 net per month. This group includes a statistical Polish family, which consumes about 2000-2500 kilowatt hours of electricity annually.
• Farms exceeding the threshold will be charged the highest rate 2800 kWh per year – will pay until 16.01 PLN per month. This category primarily includes families intensively utilizing energy-intensive devices specified as air conditioning, heat pumps, accumulation furnaces or home electrical car chargers.

In the position of the full year, the return of the power levy means for the average Polish household additional expenditure exceeding 130 PLN. The highest energy consumption farms will gotta prepare for an yearly cost of up to 192 PLN. These amounts, although they may seem average on a monthly basis, in the context of the rising prices of virtually all goods and services, represent a further burden on home budgets, peculiarly on families already facing advanced energy bills.

What precisely are we paying for? Hidden costs of the energy system

The power charge is 1 of the most complex and at the same time key elements of the Polish energy system. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a charge for actually utilized electricity. Its essence is backing Power plants are ready to supply electricity at any timeeven if they do not produce energy at a given time. This strategy aims primarily at ensuring the country's energy safety by financing capacity reserves. This means that power plants, which may stay inactive for most of the time, must be ready to start in just a fewer minutes erstwhile the energy request increases dramatically, for example in winter request peaks or during emergencies.

Thanks to the power charge, power plant owners receive guaranteed remuneration even erstwhile their plants do not produce energy. This is intended to encourage the construction of fresh generation capacities and the upgrading of existing installations, which theoretically translates into greater stableness and reliability of power supply to end-users. The funds collected from this charge are besides intended to support the improvement of national energy and the modernisation of transmission networks, which should consequence in little frequent failures and better supply quality. The power levy strategy is besides intended to motivate investments in modern, flexible energy sources that can rapidly adapt production to changing demand, which is peculiarly crucial in the context of the increasing share of renewable energy sources whose productivity depends on weather conditions. Critics of this solution, however, indicate that the power levy is in practice additional energy tax, which burdens final customers, making Polish consumers pay twice – both for the actual energy consumed and for the specified maintenance of the national energy strategy in readiness.

How do I lower my bills? applicable advice for the sparing

The return of the power charge can become an additional motivation for households to manage electricity consumption more rationally and consciously. The key to reducing additional costs is to effort to reduce yearly electricity consumption to a lower tariff group. For example, families that can reduce their yearly consumption below threshold 1200 kWh, they will automatically control to a lower tariff group and will pay much little – alternatively of PLN 11.14, just PLN 6.86 per month.

The simplest and most effective methods of reducing energy consumption are: replacing conventional lighting with modern lighting LED technology, which consumes up to 80% little energy; the consistent usage of household appliances (washers, dishwashers) in economical modes and outside highest hours; and the absolute exclusion of electronics from standby mode (stand-by) which can inevitably make crucial costs. It is besides worth avoiding the simultaneous usage of many energy-intensive devices specified as oven, electrical kettle and hair dryer. peculiar attention should be paid to the amount of the power levy by households planning to buy electrical cars, heat pumps or another modern energy solutions. These investments, although beneficial to the environment and in the long term, can importantly increase electricity consumption and thus shift the farm to a higher tariff group, expanding monthly energy costs.

The shield inactive works: What about the remainder of the surcharge?

Despite the return of the power levy, it is worth noting that the government has maintained another key elements of the energy shield for households. The most crucial of them is freezing of prices of electricity alone, partially offsetting the additional burden associated with the power charge. Thanks to this mechanism, Polish families are inactive protected from the full surge of power prices, which could be much more severe than the returning power charge. The basic rate per kilowatt hr of energy remains artificially reduced, avoiding dramatic increases in bills that have hit in another European countries with full force.

The return of the power levy is so part of the gradual withdrawal of the state from the most costly forms of energy support, while preserving key safeguard mechanisms that inactive defend home budgets from worst-case scenarios. The government thus tests social acceptance to reconstruct the real costs of the energy system, while giving time to adapt to fresh realities. For millions of Polish families July 2025 means that additional PLN 11-16 per month in home budgets. This may not seem a dramatic amount on a single account basis, but in the context of the overall increase in life costs, any additional expenditure is crucial for household finances and requires a thoughtful budget management strategy.