On Monday, April 22, changes to the “Clean Air” program come into force, including: subsidies for heat pumps. A transitional period will last until June 13, after which date it will be possible to receive subsidies from the program only for devices on a special list.
- The National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW) decided to change the “Clean Air” policy at the end of February this year.
- They resulted, among others, from: from the opinions of experts and the industry, who pointed out that the Polish market offers many heat pumps manufactured in Asia that do not meet the requirements and do not correspond to the technical parameters described.
- It was pointed out that buyers of heat pumps have difficulty distinguishing high-quality devices, e.g. manufactured in Poland by a Polish manufacturer, from Chinese ones that may not meet the requirements.
- The fund also indicated that dishonest sellers take advantage of the funding for these devices offered by the fund.
- After June 13, it will not be possible to receive Clean Air subsidies for heat pumps and wood boilers that are not on the list of Green Devices and Materials.
According to the decision of the Fund’s management board, subsidies from “Clean Air” will be granted only to heat pumps and wood gasification and pellet boilers that will be on the list of green devices and materials (the UTI list). However, there will be a transitional period until June 13, during which producers and distributors who take over the manufacturer’s responsibilities when introducing the product to the Polish market will have to complete the necessary documentation and tests for the heating devices they offer. After June 13, it will not be possible to receive subsidies from “Clean Air” for heat pumps and wood boilers that are not on the list of health insurance companies kept by the Institute of Environmental Protection (IOŚ-PIB).
List of Green Equipment and Materials (UTI). Be careful when purchasing heat pumps
The National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management explained that the list of utilities will include heating devices whose parameters will be confirmed by tests performed in accredited laboratories. This is to be one of the ways to protect the beneficiaries of the “Clean Air” program from purchasing and installing devices that do not meet the parameters declared in the product card and energy label.
The Fund recently informed that after announcing changes regarding heat pumps, the number of applications submitted by representatives for a pre-financed subsidy (with an advance payment to the contractor) only for heat pumps – without thermal modernization – increased. It was warned that this was a signal that Clean Air applicants and beneficiaries may be exposed to unfair practices.
Recent weeks show that the closer we get to closing the list of green devices and materials, the more applications under the Clean Air+ program are submitted by intermediaries, and only for subsidies for heat pumps – often substandard, without thermal modernization of the building. This will be felt in the wallet by those who are exposed to high heating bills in an uninsulated house, said Robert Gajda, vice-president of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.
Therefore, the Fund currently recommends caution when purchasing heat pumps. “If we choose a heat pump, it is safest to make purchases after June 13, when only devices of proven quality will be on the UTI list,” Gajda added.
Another change that comes into force in Clean Air from Monday is the limitation of the possibility of co-financing beneficiaries in the third part of the program. This is about the highest possible level of funding. If a homeowner eligible for this part of the program uses such a subsidy once, he or she will be able to apply for funding for subsequent buildings only under the first part of the program (basic level of funding), which means that the financial support will be lower.
The head of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, Dorota Zawadzka-Stępniak, informed that the Fund had observed “quite large abuses” in this case. She indicated that it happened that beneficiaries from this group acted as owners of several buildings with applications for the highest subsidy.
The “Clean Air” program – with a budget of PLN 103 billion – is the largest anti-smog program in Poland. Owners of single-family houses can receive funds to replace non-ecological heat sources, as well as to improve the energy efficiency of the building, e.g. by insulating it.