Poland likely to prolong household energy price cushions
Poland's climate minister will ask the government to prolong electricity bill caps if energy prices do not go down to the level envisaged by the current law, according to Paulina Hennig-Kloska's statement made in an interview with Radio Zet private broadcaster on Friday.
"Given that I have savings from the [electricity price cap - PAP ed.] programme, I will ask for an extension [of household energy price cushions - PAP ed.], if the prices suggested by companies do not fall to the legally mandated level," Hennig-Kloska said.
"As I expect that they are unlikely to go down, I will ask the government to prolong the electricity bill caps and to finance them from the savings which I have accrued over the three quarters of the programme," she added.
The government has frozen the prices of electricity for households until the end of September in response to the soaring energy costs sparked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the EU's stringent emission standards. Local governments and public institutions have also been also incorporated into the scheme, although the price reductions applicable to them are lower.
Under current regulations, the price of electricity for households was to be capped at PLN 500 (EUR 118) per MWh until the end of September 2025. The zero rate of the so-called capacity fee for households was to be maintained until June this year.
"Energy companies are expected to submit their new tariff proposals by the end of July," Hennig-Kloska said.
"We will be able to review them and determine the structure of the electricity price cushions," she added when asked about the return of a capacity fee to electricity bills as of July 1.
Poland's climate minister also said gas prices would go down by 15 percent at the beginning of July.
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