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Clean Air in a new version. Subsidies, income thresholds. What changes, deadline
– The new iteration of the Clean Air program is set to commence at the start of April – announced Minister of Climate Paulina Hennig-Kloska on Thursday. The program will feature, among other things, a compulsory energy audit prior to thermal modernization, and there will be no financial support for gas boilers.
– We are prepared; the Clean Air program will kick off at the beginning of April. It’s also great news that we have secured a new funding pool for this initiative – PLN 10 billion – stated Paulina Hennig-Kloska, Minister of Climate and Environment, during the conference.
This refers to PLN 10 billion from the Modernization Fund, which was recently approved for launch by the European Investment Bank.
Clean Air in a revamped format. „No more horror bills”
The head of the Ministry of Climate and Environment highlighted that the updated version of the program is driven by three primary objectives: a more effective battle against energy poverty, the cessation of so-called horror bills, and the eradication of fraudulent practices. – We must shield citizens from exploitation, as they are ultimately accountable for managing investments, and the pause in accepting applications was intended to address this, among other issues, as we are genuinely modernizing the program to eradicate such abuses completely – she remarked. She believes that the fraudulent practices primarily concern investments that were executed 2-3 years ago and are being settled today to a significant extent.
Deputy Minister of Climate Krzysztof Bolesta stressed at the conference that the central focus of the new program is the advantages for beneficiaries. – We are concentrating on the lower-income group of beneficiaries who require the most support, and for them, there will be full 100 percent backing for those at risk of energy poverty regarding their investments – he stated.
A new aspect of the program, as mentioned by Bolesta, is the introduction of program operators – individuals who will assist beneficiaries throughout the entire investment process from start to finish. These can be representatives from municipalities, which will receive PLN 1,700 for each „settled” application, as well as provincial environmental protection funds. Bolesta highlighted that the involvement of operators is intended to ensure that the investment „is carried out correctly.” The presence of operators will be obligatory for beneficiaries qualifying for the highest subsidies.
Another innovation in the program will be the requirement for an energy audit of the building prior to undertaking the investment; subsequently, an energy certificate will be mandatory. – This will ensure that the investment does not result in exorbitant bills; we will significantly lower these bills – Bolesta added. Both documents must be signed by individuals registered in the list of authorized persons to prepare energy performance certificates. This list can be accessed on the Ministry of Development’s website. Up to PLN 1.6 thousand in subsidies can be provided from Clean Air for the audit.
In this updated version of the program, maximum costs for individual investment components will be established.
One building, one subsidy
The head of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, Dorota Zawadzka-Stępniak, stated that the revised version of the program was extensively consulted with the market, NGOs, contractors, and administrative bodies.
She clarified that the subsidy will be applicable for a single building, whereas in the earlier version of the program, applications were occasionally submitted for multiple properties or a dozen houses. – Now the rule is straightforward: one building – one subsidy – she emphasized.
When applying for assistance, it will be necessary to demonstrate that you have owned or co-owned the property for a minimum of three years. – An exception applies in cases of inheritance; however, fundamentally it will not be feasible to do what was permissible in the previous version of the program, where a building was transferred to, for instance, a non-working family member or a student with no income – she indicated.
Income thresholds
Zawadzka-Stępniak pointed out that the program has raised the income thresholds that qualify individuals for specific subsidy amounts. The program outlines three levels of support. The basic level offers subsidies up to 40 percent of eligible investment costs, available to those whose annual income does not exceed PLN 135,000. The second group includes individuals whose monthly income per person is PLN 2,250 in multi-person households and PLN 3,150 in single-person households; support for them is limited to 70 percent of eligible costs.
The highest support level, up to 100% of costs, will apply to monthly incomes of up to PLN 1,300 per person in multi-person households or up to PLN 1,800 in single-person households.
The greatest subsidies will also be accessible to those with established rights to benefits – whether permanent, periodic, family, or special care allowances. „The top subsidy is designated only for the energy disadvantaged, meaning for buildings or premises where the demand for usable energy for heating exceeds 140 kWh/m2 per year” – it was noted on the Ministry of Culture and Environment’s website.
Individuals earning more than PLN 135,000 annually can still take advantage of thermal modernization relief.>
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