An air conditioner installed in a top-floor apartment with skylight windows has become a real-world test of cooling costs in Poland. A Business Insider reporter who has owned such a unit since 2018 calculated that eight hours of daily operation costs 8.24 PLN, which translates into roughly 274.20 PLN for 20 days.
Record-breaking heat waves have made air conditioning a frequent choice for Poles looking to keep their homes comfortable. The example described in the report is particularly telling because the apartment is located on the highest floor of the building, directly under the roof, and has roof windows that make the interior harder to cool. These conditions mean the device has to work more intensively than it would in a less exposed location.
The daily amount of 8.24 PLN was calculated for around eight hours of using the air conditioner during the hottest weather. If the same pattern is repeated for 20 days, the monthly bill for cooling alone reaches 274.20 PLN. That scenario assumes regular, daily operation of the appliance rather than occasional use.
Maintenance is another fixed expense
Running costs are not limited to electricity. A user also has to pay for an annual inspection and servicing of the air conditioner. Depending on the scope of work, such a service can cost between 200 and 500 PLN.
The growing intensity of heat waves across Europe has revived discussion about wider access to air conditioning. In France, Eric Ciotti, leader of the Union of the Right party supporting the far-right National Rally (RN), proposed regulations that would require air conditioners to be installed in schools, medical facilities and nursing homes for seniors.
France’s political debate and EU heat pump rules
Marine Le Pen promised that if she wins the presidential election, she would implement a broad air conditioning development programme. She argues the issue belongs to public health policy.
European regulation has shaped the equipment available on the market. Since 2010, every air conditioner sold in the European Union must have a heating function. Because of this requirement, such devices can operate as air-source heat pumps and supply heat in cooler months, giving owners a year-round role for the unit.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Shutterstock/Palakorn Jaiman
