What is the biggest burden on the household budget? Only 11% of those surveyed[1] found the price of electricity problematic. The good news is that energy costs will be even lower - the limits of the electricity price freeze at last year's rates have been increased, and households will be able to save an extra £125 thanks to the discount introduced.

September is a period of increased spending due to the start of the school year. And yet the household budget is burdened by many fixed costs, such as rent and electricity charges. To ensure that the latter does not pose an additional financial challenge for large families, the government has introduced increased limits under the Solidarity Shield, the provisions of which include not only a freeze on electricity prices for households, but also an increase in the limits up to which the electricity price freeze will apply. For all households, this increased limit has been set at 3,000 kWh per year, and for families with the Large Family Card it is as much as 4,000 kWh. The new regulations therefore mean that Polish families will save between PLN 3,000 and PLN 4,000 a year on their electricity bills.

Additional reduction of over £125 on bills

As an additional measure, alongside the Solidarity Shield, the Polish government has introduced an additional PLN 125 discount on household electricity bills. Energy sellers will be obliged to give a one-off discount to all households that meet one of the non-required conditions this year. These are:

1. consent to receive electronic invoices,

2. consent to electronic communication about products and services offered,

3. checking and confirming the accuracy of your details with your energy retailer,

4. a 5 per cent reduction in electricity consumption for at least three consecutive months between January 2023 and September 2023 compared to the same period in 2022,

5. production of renewable energy in a prosumer RES installation,

6. making a declaration on increased consumption limits under the government's Solidarity Shield (applies to households with a Large Family Card, a person with a disability or farmers).

The Solidarity Shield and additional shielding measures effectively protect energy consumers from the effects of rising power generation costs, says the Maciej Maciejowski of the Polish Electricity Committee. With the additional bonus, Polish families will receive a PLN 125 reduction on their electricity bills. For a statistical family with average electricity consumption, the new consumer support mechanism means savings equivalent to one month's bill. The government is thus guaranteeing energy security for Polish families.

What can you do to easily keep within the limits if you have a large family? It is worth remembering, for example, to switch off lights in rooms where no one is currently staying or to switch off electronic equipment such as computers when not in use. Detailed information about the increased energy price freeze limits and the new discount is available at www.liczysieenergia.pl - page of the Polish Electricity Committee's educational campaign. Its aim is to create awareness of the rational use of energy and, consequently, to reduce electricity bills.

[1] YOTTA survey commissioned by PKEE conducted in July this year.