← FFCheckElectricity & gasPL
Electricity & gas · Poland
Checked 2026-09-30

💳 Prepayment meter in Poland: can they fit one, and what are my rights?

The short answer

With a prepayment meter you pay before you use energy. It can help with budgeting, but there are rules on when one may be fitted and on protection when the credit runs out.

📜 The rules in Poland

Prepayment meters

Any household can ask its grid operator for a prepayment meter (for a fee); it must be installed within 60 days. A vulnerable customer gets one free within 21 days. The company may also install one at its own cost, e.g. after payments were over a month late twice within 12 months.

  • With a prepayment meter you buy energy in advance (customer office, online or shops) and enter a code; standing charges still apply. Refusing a meter the company is entitled to install can lead to supply being stopped. (ure.gov.pl)
Official source: api.sejm.gov.pl · Checked 2026-09-30

🪜 Step by step

  1. Know the rules on fittingSee below when a supplier may install a prepayment meter in Poland and who may be protected.
  2. Ask for emergency creditMost prepayment meters have emergency or friendly credit. Ask your supplier how it works.
  3. Get help if you cannot top upContact your supplier straight away and ask about extra support.
  4. Complain if the rules were brokenIf a meter was fitted wrongly, complain to the supplier, then to the dispute body below.

📇 Who to contact

Koordynator do spraw negocjacji przy Prezesie URESettles disputes with energy companiesWhen the company has not solved your complaint📞 22 487 56 22🔗 koordynator.ure.gov.pl
Urząd Regulacji Energetyki (URE)Supervises energy companies and explains your rightsFor information, and to report a company that breaks the rules📞 22 244 26 36🔗 www.ure.gov.pl

❓ Questions

Can I switch back to a normal meter?

Often yes, once any debt is dealt with. Ask your supplier.

Do I pay more with a prepayment meter?

The rules on prepayment prices differ. The rules for Poland are on this page.

Can I still switch supplier?

Usually yes, even with a prepayment meter. Debts can limit this.

📎 Sources

Checked: 2026-09-30

🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

🔗 Also useful

💸Can’t pay the bill→🩺Vulnerable and medical customers→🤝Help with energy costs→🔄Switching supplier→📈Price increase→

More help in Poland

All other problems: who handles whatWho do I contact?100+ things that go wrong — money, housing, work, safety, health, papers, government — and the one desk in Poland that actually handles each: phone, site, and what to say when they pick up.Before it goes wrongCan I?What is allowed, what is not, which permit you need — with the official source.Recognise it firstIs dit veilig?Check a phone number, website or message against 47,000 scam dossiers.