Energy literacy starts with the bill in your hand.

Why bills feel confusing

Polish electricity invoices from providers like PGE combine at least two separate types of charge on a single document. One part covers the actual electricity you consumed. The other part covers the cost of moving that electricity through the grid to your home — what the industry calls the distribution component.

These two components are regulated differently. The commodity price can change when you switch supplier or tariff. The distribution fee is set by the local network operator and applies regardless of who your supplier is. Many people do not realise this when comparing offers.

Gas invoices from PGNiG follow the same two-layer structure. You pay for the gas itself, and separately for the pipeline network that delivers it. A subscription fee also appears on most invoices, covering metering and billing administration.

Tariff groups: what the letters and numbers mean

Polish electricity tariffs for households fall into the G group. The number after G tells you how many pricing periods apply. G11 has one period — the same price per kilowatt-hour at all times. G12 has two periods: a peak rate during the day and a lower off-peak rate, typically from 10pm to 6am plus certain weekend hours.

G12 variants include G12w, which extends the off-peak period across the entire weekend, and G12r, which applies different rates by season. Whether G12 suits you depends on when you actually use electricity. If your washing machine, dishwasher, and phone charging happen in the evening, you may use the off-peak window effectively. If your household consumption is evenly spread across the day, G11 may produce a comparable or lower bill.

Switching tariff groups requires a formal request to your supplier. There is no switching cost, but the process takes a billing cycle. You can request a historic consumption breakdown from your supplier to evaluate whether a switch makes sense before you apply.

Reading your PGE invoice line by line

A standard PGE household invoice contains these main sections:

• Opłata handlowa (trading fee) — a fixed monthly charge for your supply contract, independent of consumption.
• Energia elektryczna czynna (active energy) — the core charge based on how many kWh you used in the billing period.
• Dystrybucja — opłata sieciowa (network fee) — a variable charge from the distribution operator, related to your capacity and consumption.
• Opłata jakościowa (quality fee) — a small regulated charge related to network maintenance standards.
• Opłata przejściowa (transitional fee) — a legacy charge related to historical electricity sector reforms.
• Opłata OZE (renewable energy fee) — supports the national renewable energy obligation system.
• Opłata kogeneracyjna (cogeneration fee) — a small levy supporting combined heat and power production.

Adding up all these lines gives you the total before VAT. VAT on electricity is currently 23% for standard consumption and has historically been temporarily reduced during high-price periods, so the rate on your current invoice is worth checking.

Does switching supplier actually help?

Switching the commodity supplier — the company you buy electricity from — can change the pricing on the active energy portion of your bill. It does not affect distribution charges, which are fixed by the regional network operator.

Before switching, request a detailed consumption breakdown for the past twelve months from your current supplier. Use this to calculate what you would have paid under the new offer. The commodity price per kWh is the key number to compare.

Be aware that some offers use promotional rates for the first six months that revert to a higher standard rate. Reading the full tariff schedule, not just the advertised price, gives you a more accurate picture of long-term costs.

This site does not promote or recommend any specific supplier or offer. The information here is intended to help you ask the right questions when you evaluate options yourself.