Heating costs Shift in Poland: Heat Pumps Hold Steady as ‘Energy Vampires’ Face Steep Bills
Warsaw, Poland - Polish households face a varied landscape of heating costs this winter, with important price fluctuations across fuel types, according to a new analysis by Polish Smog Alert (PAS). While gas and coal prices have decreased year-over-year, pellet and wood heating costs have risen, leaving heat pumps as the only analyzed option with stable pricing. The study underscores the critical impact of home insulation, revealing substantial savings for those who invest in energy efficiency.
The annual cost of heating a home varies considerably depending on the fuel source. Heat pumps range from PLN 2,269 to PLN 4,532 per year, while other options show more volatility. Comparing October 2024 to September 2025, heating gas has dropped by 7% and coal by 10%. Though, pellet heating is now nearly 8% more expensive than last year, and wood boilers have seen a 7% price increase.
PAS’s analysis highlights the dramatic difference between uninsulated homes – dubbed “energy vampires” with heat consumption of 200 kWh/year/m2 – and those with average insulation (10 cm walls, 15 cm attic, heat consumption of 120 kWh/year/m2).For gas heating, upgrading from an “energy vampire” to an average insulated home can save as much as PLN 4,608 annually. Pellet boiler users could save PLN 4,691 per year with similar improvements.
Further savings are realized with more comprehensive insulation. Comparing an uninsulated home to one meeting the current WT2021 standard (17 cm wall insulation, 25 cm attic, triple-glazed windows, heat consumption of 55 kWh/year/m2) yields annual savings of PLN 8,353 for gas heating and PLN 8,502 for pellet boilers.
“The savings resulting from insulating an old house to the current standard are extraordinary,” stated Piotr Siergiej, spokesman for Polish Smog Alert. “This applies only to one year.”
PAS conducted its price monitoring of solid fuels on September 22-25, 2025, inspecting two fuel depots in each of Poland’s 32 voivodeships, ensuring a geographically diverse analysis.
