Power cut compensation in Poland: 24 and 48 hour limits, bonifikata
Short answer: You can claim a bonifikata if one unplanned outage exceeds 24 hours or the yearly total exceeds 48 hours. It is ten times the energy price for the undelivered energy, paid within 30 days of applying.
If your electricity is cut for too long, Polish rules give you the right to a payment from the distribution company, called a bonifikata. It is not automatic for outages inside the limits, and for most households you have to ask. This guide sets out what the sources say about the time limits, how the amount is calculated, who to apply to and how fast the company must act. It draws on the Polish energy regulator URE (FAQ page dated 17 October 2024), the text of the tariff regulation as shown in a legal database for the version in force from 4 September 2026, a distribution company's customer page and a January 2026 news article. Details are as of 17 October 2026.
When you are entitled
The distribution company's page (PGE Dystrybucja) and the January 2026 article both cite the Minister of Climate and Environment regulation of 28 April 2023 on the operation of the power system. They say the permitted duration of a single unplanned outage may not exceed 24 hours, and the total duration of outages in a year may not exceed 48 hours. If the distribution operator goes beyond these limits, you are entitled to a payment.
These two pages are secondary sources for the limits: they quote the regulation, but this guide did not open the regulation itself. The URE page says that the permitted outage times are in the regulation or in your contract, and that the company must put the permitted outage time on your invoice. Check your invoice and contract for your own limit.
How the amount is calculated
The tariff regulation text, in the version in force from 4 September 2026, says that for each unit of electricity not delivered, a final customer connected to a network:
* with nominal voltage not higher than 1 kV gets a payment of ten times the price of electricity for the period of the outage * with another voltage gets five times the price
Most homes are on the low-voltage network, which is the first case. The quantity not delivered on the day of the outage is worked out from the consumption on the same day of the previous week, taking into account the permitted outage times in the contract or in the rules.
So the amount depends on how much electricity you would normally have used, not on the damage you suffered. The sources describe a payment, not compensation for spoiled food or other losses, and they do not discuss those.
How to apply
The distribution company's page explains that customers with a distribution contract can apply to the distribution operator in person at its local office, by post, or electronically through the contact form on its website. For email, you attach a signed and scanned application. Customers with a comprehensive contract, which bundles sale and distribution, can apply through their electricity seller.
That page is from one operator, PGE Dystrybucja. Other operators may have their own forms, so check the website of the operator in your area. The operator is named on your invoice.
How fast the company must act
The URE FAQ says that the energy company gives the payment within 30 days of:
* the day it receives the customer's application for a payment for exceeding the permitted outage times, in the case of customers connected to a network of up to 1 kV * for customers on higher voltage, the last day on which the permitted times were exceeded
The company takes the granted payment into account in the settlement for the nearest billing period. The URE page also says that other customers supplied from the same delivery point can get a payment after the company receives the application, if their outage is also confirmed.
Other quality standards
The URE page covers payments for other failures too: not meeting customer service standards, and voltage deviations beyond the permitted limits. The amounts for these are set in the tariff or your contract, and the page gives formulas. It says that the contract must specify the amount of the payment, and that for details on settlement and the current tariffs you should ask the energy company first.
Emergency number
The PGE Dystrybucja page lists the power emergency number 991 for its area, with a separate number for the Warsaw area. Other operators have their own numbers, so check yours.
What the sources do not say
The sources do not say how long after an outage you can apply, what proof you need, or what to do if the company refuses. They do not mention foreigners or tenants, and they do not say whether the payment goes to the account holder or the person named on the contract. The regulation changes from time to time, so check the current text.
* Photos: cover, electricians fixing an electricity meter (CC0, Wikimedia Commons); body, an electricity meter (CC0, Wikimedia Commons). Illustrative.
Frequently asked questions
When do I get a payment for a power cut in Poland?
When a single unplanned outage goes beyond 24 hours, or the total in a year goes beyond 48 hours, according to the distribution company's page quoting the 2023 regulation.
How much is it?
For a home on the low-voltage network, ten times the electricity price for the outage period, for the quantity not delivered, per the tariff regulation.
Do I have to apply?
For customers up to 1 kV, the URE page counts the 30 days from receiving your application, so yes, apply to the operator or through your seller if you have a comprehensive contract.
How fast is it paid?
Within 30 days of the application, and counted in the next billing period, according to URE.
