Why February Bills Bring the ‘Thirteenth Rent’ Shock
The thirteenth rent arrives with annual heating settlements. Learn why bills spike and what expats can do.
The thirteenth rent has landed in many letterboxes in February. Tenants across Warsaw and other cities face surprise heating settlements that demand thousands of zloty.
How radiator allocators record heat
Most Polish blocks use electronic radiator allocators. They measure surface and room temperature. Consequently, they produce dimensionless units. Moreover, providers sum units across a building. Therefore, the institution divides the total heating cost by that sum. The result gives the monetary value per unit. However, that value can double if overall usage in the block drops sharply. As a result, your bill can rise even if you used less heat.
Why residents still pay fixed charges
Every annual heating settlement mixes variable and fixed costs. Variable costs follow radiator units. Fixed costs follow flat area, per square metre. Fixed items include contracted heat capacity, pipe losses, and common-area heating. In addition, blocks heat stairwells, corridors and basements. Therefore, you pay these costs even if you turned radiators down. For example, you might expect a refund. However, fixed charges can erase that refund and create a surcharge. Consequently, what looks like a refund becomes a painful additional bill.
thirteenth rent: why bills spike now
Energy prices climbed after government compensation schemes ended in June 2025. As a result, many heat plants returned to market prices. Consequently, costs per gigajoule rose above 200 zloty in many towns. Therefore, the total bill for a block increased. In addition, modern electronic allocators often shift more costs into fixed shares. Thus, residents who cut consumption still pay large amounts. Moreover, corner flats and top-floor apartments tend to record more units. As a result, they often face higher combined bills.
What you can do after receiving the settlement
Do not panic. First, request an instalment plan immediately. Most housing managers accept six to twelve monthly instalments. Secondly, demand access to accounting documents. Under Energy Law article 45a you may inspect supplier invoices and calculation sheets. In addition, check if the co-op separates heating and hot water costs per building. Since 2016 law requires this separation. Thirdly, verify the unit price calculation. Divide the block’s variable costs by total reported units. The result should match the declared rate.
Moreover, long term fixes include insulation and window replacement. Programs like Czyste Powietrze offer grants for deep retrofits. Consequently, you can cut energy needs by 50-70 percent. However, those works take time.
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