The Clean Air program requires changes. Local government officials have presented a long list

• Local government officials expect, above all, greater flexibility and reliable evaluation of the "Clean Air" program in many areas: procedural, financial and organizational.
• They appeal to the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management to listen to the voice of local governments, which, as institutions closest to citizens, are the first addressees of residents' questions, frustrations and expectations.
• The submitted demands also included the comment that the requirement to own the property for at least three years excludes many residents from applying for funding.

Representatives of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management met with representatives of local government corporations to hear their opinions on the "Clean Air" program. On July 30, local government officials presented conclusions and proposed procedural changes that would streamline and facilitate residents' access to financial support, particularly for thermal modernization of buildings and replacing inefficient heating sources.

Local government officials expect, above all, greater flexibility and reliable evaluation of the Clean Air Programme in many areas - both procedural, financial and organisational.

The problems raised by municipalities are not due to a lack of commitment - on the contrary, local governments consistently support residents in using the program by running consultation points, organizing information activities and answering everyday questions and doubts of beneficiaries

- emphasizes Sylwia Brzezicka-Tesarczyk, director of the Center for Sustainable Urban Management at the Rybnik City Hall, deputy chairwoman of the Ecology Committee of ŚZGiP, representative of OPOS in the Team for Energy, Climate and Environment of the KWRiST.

Both parties emphasize that their goals are convergent - they strive for the largest possible number of successfully submitted and settled applications, and thus to improve air quality and the energy efficiency of residential buildings.

However, local government officials point out that the current formula of the program, full of barriers and difficulties, is not conducive to the implementation of these assumptions.

"We appeal to the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management to listen to the voice of local governments, which, as the institutions closest to citizens, are the first to hear their questions, frustrations, and expectations. Municipalities are faced with the practical implementation of the program on a daily basis and are best aware of the real needs and constraints of their residents. We believe that thanks to a partnership approach and openness to constructive dialogue, the common goal of effectively implementing the new version of the Clean Air program is still achievable," says Sylwia Brzezicka-Tesarczyk on behalf of local government officials.

• Formal criteria that are too restrictive and exclusive

  Local governments point out that the requirement to own the property for at least three years excludes many residents from applying for funding. This is particularly true for those who received the building as a gift, inheritance, or recently purchased a separate unit in an existing building.

• Obligation to perform an energy audit before submitting the application

  The requirement to conduct an energy audit at the application stage is a significant barrier for many potential beneficiaries – especially the elderly and those with limited means. The cost of the audit, often reaching PLN 2,000, can be prohibitive, especially since there is no guarantee of funding. Municipalities believe that for simple investments, such as replacing a boiler or windows, an audit should not be required.

• Over-complication of program rules and lack of transparency

  The program's rules are too complicated for the average resident. There's a lack of simple and understandable information materials, both at consultation points and in general communication. Furthermore, there's the problem of conflicting interpretations: different information is provided by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW), the Regional Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (WFOŚiGW), and different information is shared by residents themselves, leading to informational chaos.

• Procedural and organizational problems

  Many municipalities report very long waiting times for application processing and grant payments—often exceeding six months. In some cases, it is impossible to contact the specific Voivodeship Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (WFOŚiGW) employee responsible for a given application. Beneficiaries become frustrated and often withdraw from the program.

• Insufficient level and scope of funding

  Residents, especially those with lower incomes, are opting out of the program after being told they can't just replace windows or the heating system but must undertake a full thermal modernization. Meanwhile, available funds don't cover the actual costs of materials and labor, and the income threshold for the basic level of support has remained at its 2023 level despite inflation and price increases.

• Ineffective promotion of the program and a discrepancy between media messages and reality

  Media promotion of the program focuses on maximum funding amounts, which misleads residents. At consultation points, they are told they are entitled to significantly less support. This leads to frustration and discouragement. Although the program is presented as simple and accessible, its implementation proves complex and burdened with numerous conditions.

• Lack of flexibility and failure to take into account local conditions

  The current requirements fail to address the realities of many households. Many buildings remain uninsulated, and their owners lack the resources for comprehensive thermal modernization. However, the program requires compliance with all auditor recommendations—even if they exceed the applicant's financial capabilities. This is particularly true for seniors.

In addition to the above official demands, the president of the Union of Polish Towns, Grzegorz Cichy, also points to the need to facilitate access to financial support under the "Clean Air" program for digitally excluded people and those without families.

"The Union of Polish Towns calls for special treatment for single-person households. These are often elderly, lonely, without support from loved ones, and often digitally excluded, struggling to navigate all the required paperwork," he argues.

In the case of people at risk of energy poverty, there was also a proposal to consider introducing, during the implementation of the program, a so-called energy voucher, which would enable, for example, the independent replacement of a furnace without the need for full thermal modernization.

Marek Wójcik from the Association of Polish Cities draws attention to the need to enable the combination of local government funds allocated for furnace replacement with funding from the "Clean Air" program, covering other elements of thermal modernization.

He also points out that treating incomes as a whole in the case of applications submitted by people formally low-income (e.g., students) but who are part of wealthier households is counterproductive. He believes the regulations in this regard should be clarified.