Polish parliament on Friday (August 5) approved a one-off subsidy to people who use coal for heating their homes. In the final vote, the lower house rejected a number of amendments recommended by the upper house - the Senate, including the one granting the subsidy to all households.
Poland's lower house of parliament - the Sejm - approved a bill offering households a one-off payment of 3,000 zlotys (approx. 635 euro) to help cover the rising cost of coal, as the country faces surging energy prices as a result of the war in Ukraine.
The Sejm also rejected a number of recommendations approved on Thursday by the upper house - the Senate. One of them assumed that all households, regardless of the type of heating source used, would be eligible for the subsidy.
If signed into law by the president, the new regulations will provide support for a large group of households in Poland, including the poorest in terms of energy, in covering part of the costs resulting from the increase in prices on the energy market.
The subsidy will be available to households where coal is the main source of heat, and the deadline for submitting applications would be Nov. 30.
Coal crisis
Due to their high quality, Russian coal imports were mainly used by individual households and heating plants in smaller towns before they were banned in April.
The subsequent spike in prices cause by the shortfall has left many Poles fearing they will be unable to heat their homes in winter.
Poland depends on coal for some 80% of its electricity generation. Although it is the European Union's largest producer of the fuel, it still imported more than 8 million tonnes of Russian coal in 2021 and is facing a shortfall of as much as 11 million tonnes this year due to declining local production.
It introduced subsidies designed to keep prices for smaller buyers at last year's level earlier this month, but retailers are reluctant to participate in the system as payments are not compensating for the surge in market prices.
It has also taken steps to boost imports from other sources.
Government proposal for other households
Polish government has prepared a draft legislation regarding support for other households facing high energy prices.
"We have prepared a comprehensive package that would be addressed to all heating users, to all those who heat water, but could be potentially affected by the price increase," Climate Minister Anna Moskwa said on Friday.
She added the package would provide support to 6.6 million households in Poland.
The draft is to be submitted to the parliament in September.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP
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