Poland plans to cap household gas prices at 2026 levels for 2027

In brief

• Poland's Ministry of Energy has drafted a bill capping gas prices for protected customers, including households, in 2027.
• The maximum price would be frozen at the level of the 2026 tariff approved by the energy regulator for the default seller.
• The draft includes compensation for gas traders and a windfall-profit limit, with a reported 10 percent levy on some firms.

Price cap for protected customers

The Ministry of Energy has prepared a draft law on special protection for certain gas fuel customers in 2027, according to an entry in the government's legislative work list (Cena maksymalna gazu dla gospodarstw domowych od 2027 r. Jest projekt ustawy – Puls Biznesu) (Co z rachunkami za gaz w 2027 roku? Rząd chce wprowadzić maksymalną cenę – RMF24) (Rząd chce zamrozić ceny gazu na 2027 rok – Bankier.pl). The bill would guarantee a maximum price for gas fuels used in settlements with protected customers, including households and entities performing important public utility tasks (Maksymalne ceny gazu od 2027 roku. Zapewnią „przewidywalność kosztów” – Rzeczpospolita).

How the cap would be set

The ceiling would be based on the price in the tariff approved for 2026 by the President of the Energy Regulatory Office (URE) for the default seller. In practice, the 2027 price would stay at the 2026 tariff level. The government presents this as a way to give consumers predictable costs and to limit the risk that wholesale price rises pass directly to them.

Compensation and levies

The draft also provides for a compensation system for gas trading companies to offset the difference created by the cap (Ceny gazu w 2027 r. z limitami. Ministerstwo Energii chce specjalnej ochrony – Business Insider Polska). A mechanism to limit windfall profits of some of these firms is also planned. Business Insider Polska reports that companies earning revenue from gas sales on the domestic market would pay a levy. Money.pl gives its rate as 10 percent (Rachunki za gaz. Jest ruch rządu – Money.pl).

Government signals

Finance and Economy Minister Andrzej Domański said on Friday that the government would present concrete solutions on gas prices within about ten days, arguing the price rises stemmed from international market conditions rather than domestic policy (Rząd szykuje tarczę na rynku gazu. Domański zapowiada rozwiązania w ciągu 10 dni – Bankier.pl) (Rząd obniży ceny gazu? Domański zapowiada "konkretne rozwiązania" – Wirtualna Polska). He linked the increases to tensions connected with the conflict in the Middle East and said the aim was to shield households from them (Rząd szykuje odpowiedź na drożejący gaz – RMF24).

What comes next

The proposal is at the stage of a planned legislative work entry and has not yet been adopted as a bill. Its final form, including the compensation rules and the levy, could change before it goes to parliament.

Read also

• Poland's Domański says government is working on measures to shield households from gas price spike
• Poland expects about 5.2 billion zlotys from windfall tax on fuel companies, Finance Ministry says