On 1 October 2023, the price of energy will be reduced for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), local governments and sensitive public utilities such as hospitals, schools and cultural institutions. Instead of - as before - PLN 785 per MWh, from next Sunday the price will be PLN 693 per MWh.

The amendment to the Electricity Consumer Protection Act 2023 not only increases the availability of cheap energy for households, but also reduces prices for businesses and public institutions. From 1 October 2023, the so-called maximum price,
which the energy seller cannot exceed, will fall by approximately 12% - from PLN 785 to PLN 693 net per MWh. This means that those running their own businesses, such as hair salons,
garages, neighbourhood shops, will pay significantly lower electricity bills. The solution also applies to all local authorities and so-called sensitive entities,
i.e. dormitories, nursing homes or crèches, for example.

- Shield mechanisms to guarantee local governments, sensitive facilities and companies
of SMEs a specific energy price cap was first introduced in December 2022. This is in response to a significant increase in the cost of energy generation translating
on prices contracted on the wholesale market. The lower electricity prices cover all eligible entities that have made a declaration to this effect with their energy retailer - explains Maciej Maciejowski of the Polish Electricity Committee.

The electricity retailer will automatically include the new prices in the billing for the energy consumed. However, this only applies to those who have made a declaration to this effect.
If a company or institution has not done so to date, they can submit it now,
However, the preferential energy price will apply from the month following the date of the declaration.

Savings also for households

Thanks to the government's changes, the limit on energy consumption at the preferential, frozen rate has been raised from 2,000 to 3,000 kWh for all households, from 2,600
up to 3600 kWh for farms with people with disabilities, while for farmers
and households with a Large Family Card - from 3,000 to 4,000 kWh.

- Thanks to the application of the government's Solidarity Shield and higher energy price caps, the average Polish family will pay between PLN 3 000 and even PLN 4 000 thousand less for energy this year, and thanks to a recent government decree, they will also receive an additional PLN 125 discount.
It is worth noting that the frozen net electricity price for households is just over 40 cents per kilowatt hour, one of the lowest in Europe - says Maciej Maciejowski.

As an additional relief for households, there is also a one-time discount of
approx. PLN 125. It will be given to those households that meet at least one of six conditions - e.g. they have confirmed the correctness of their data with their energy retailer, consented to receive electronic invoices or marketing information. Each household has received information on this from its energy retailer.

Detailed information on shielding measures to stop energy price increases is available at www.liczysieenergia.pl - page of the Polish Electricity Committee's educational campaign, which aims to raise awareness of how to use energy rationally,
and thus reduce electricity bills.