Contrary to media reports, the ban on the use of gas stoves, including for heating, will not be introduced so quickly. Yes, there will be a fee for CO2 emissions soon – similar to the one currently paid by the industry. But this tax will apply to all heating media, from coal to gas, with households using gas paying relatively the least.
This actually opens up completely new and promising perspectives for gas furnaces. The problem is different – the availability of the gas network, especially in rural areas. However, here too there is a ready solution in the form of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which has very good ratings in Poland and among Poles.
Prohibition of gas heating? not so fast
According to the Ecobarometer 2024 study carried out in cooperation with POGPaż, 41% of Poles confirm that they have ever used LPG, including 49% of those living in the countryside, 37% of the inhabitants of small and medium-sized towns and 33% of the inhabitants of metropolises.
Among LPG users in rural areas, as many as 48% used it in the form of autogas, and 52% used it to prepare meals.
The potential of this fuel is important in poorly urbanized and peripheral areas with limited access to infrastructure, where, according to data from the European Commission, the percentage of people at risk of poverty and energy exclusion is the highest.
– Events of recent years, including the energy crisis and the growing awareness of terrible air quality related to the so-called low emissions, make many Poles consider replacing their old heating installation with a more convenient and safe solution.
Using coal is becoming more and more expensive. This includes the costs of fuel, treatment of respiratory diseases, and, from 2027, also the costs of carbon dioxide emissions.
– The latter will be the highest for users of old coal furnaces, which is the most emissive of the fuels used in Poland – says Bartosz Kwiatkowski, director general of the Polish Organization of Liquefied Gas – POGP.
Liquid LPG: an alternative to the traditional gas network, especially when it is not available
Smog is one of the most difficult civilization problems that Poland is struggling with. It is caused primarily by the so-called “Cinderellas”, old-type furnaces using solid fuels.
According to the Polish Smog Alert, solid fuel stoves and boilers are responsible for 86% of the total PM2.5 suspended dust emissions and for approximately 93% of the emissions of carcinogenic benzopyrene.
According to data from the Central Register of Buildings from 2023, 17.3 million different heat sources are used in Poland. 17% of them are solid fuel boilers, and 2 million of them are boilers.
Gas – both natural and liquid – has become an important ally in the fight against pollution, which is the source of smog.
Installing an LPG heating system is relatively simple and inexpensive – and most importantly, reliable due to proven technology.
– The owner of a gas boiler will be able to enjoy maintenance-free heat and clean air for years, without the need for repairs, servicing and renovations – adds Bartosz Kwiatkowski.
Liquid LPG: there will definitely be no shortage of this fuel
According to Eurostat data, 93 million EU citizens and 13 million Poles live in rural areas. In 2022, 31% of rural residents had access to the gas network.
The rest still heat themselves primarily with solid fuels – especially in voivodeships such as Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lublin, Podlaskie, Świętokrzyskie and Warmian-Masurian.
In addition to the low availability of gas from the network in the countryside, it should be taken into account that 60% of residential buildings in rural areas were built before 1989, and their technical standard makes it impossible to use technology other than heating boilers without a thorough renovation.
LPG heating: a very advantageous solution for replacing Cinderella – why?
In this situation, it is not surprising that LPG is gaining popularity among owners of single-family houses when replacing old coal heating.
Installation of a liquefied gas installation takes a relatively short time: 1.5-2 months. The LPG-powered system itself is a proven, long-lasting, failure-free and basically maintenance-free solution – it practically only requires refueling 1-2 times a year. According to Ecobarometer research, users of liquefied gas point to its practical benefits: fuel price, convenience of use and attractive installation price.
Relatively low installation cost, including the possibility of receiving a subsidy under the Clean Air program, provided that the device is installed with the so-called list of Green Devices and Materials (ZUM) – up to PLN 25,000 without thermal modernization.
The installation is virtually maintenance-free – you only need to refuel the tank. The rest is simply convenient temperature control at home.
LPG does not emit dust harmful to health and practically does not emit sulfur and nitrogen oxides.
LPG will be able to be used in installations installed before 2030 until the future modernization of the building to a zero-emission standard, and in the future it will increasingly come from the processing of agricultural and municipal waste.
There is plenty of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the world; it is also easy to store, which allows you to prepare for winter at the lowest prices.
Importantly for the user, all formalities related to the installation of LPG heating are the responsibility of the installation supplier, who completes them on behalf of the customer.
According to data from Ecobarometer 2024, over 43% of Poles consider LPG to be an ecological fuel (48% have no opinion), and over 50% believe that replacing coal stoves with gas boilers contributes to improving air quality and reducing smog.
As many as 61% of liquid gas users agree that LPG is a good solution for areas where there is no access to gas pipelines or heating from the municipal network.
Over 52% of Poles believe that the European Union should ensure that LPG is widely available to citizens for as long as possible.
