The scale of changes around us
The heating transformation in our cities is really happening: in Dzierżoniów, as part of the Ciepłe Mieszkanie programme, over a hundred heat source replacement projects were completed by autumn 2025 (according to city data on the programme's implementation), while in premises managed by the Świebodzice MZN, solid fuel still heated about 60% of the stock (data concerns the stock managed by MZN, not the entire city - according to the report on the state of the municipality for 2025). Thousands of such changes are still ahead of us - and each of them will load the electrical installation more than anything before.
Power arithmetic - keeping a cool head
As a rough guide, an apartment needs a peak of several kilowatts of heating power in winter - correspondingly more in a poorly insulated building. Meanwhile, the typical agreed power of an apartment is 4-6 kW for everything: heating, kitchen, washing machine, lights. The conclusion is simple: electric heating almost always means a conversation about power - sometimes raising the agreed power is enough, sometimes increasing the connection capacity is needed, and in a multi-family building, the question about the condition of the main power line (WLZ) is asked at the very beginning.
Rules that save trouble
- heating on dedicated circuits - a radiator permanently wired to its own circuit, not to a socket via an extension lead; an extension lead under a 2 kW radiator is the most common winter mistake;
- old aluminium cables and heating - heating is a continuous load, for hours, not momentary like a kettle; a circuit that "somehow tolerated" short peaks will show weaknesses when heating - aluminium connections require inspection, and often circuit replacement;
- heating mats and foils - require an RCD and correct installation of sensors; this is an element of the electrical installation, not a carpet;
- boiler instead of a gas water heater - plus a few kW; treat it in the balance like a second radiator;
- tariff and control - with tariffs featuring cheaper zones (e.g. G12), automation and contactors allow heating water and accumulating heat when electricity is cheaper; this makes a real difference to bills.
Order of play: installation first, radiators second
Just like with a heat pump, the order determines the costs: power balance and installation assessment before purchasing equipment allows you to avoid a scenario where new heaters are in place, but the circuits still need to be built. For older flats, a natural solution is often combining the topic with replacing the installation in stages - the "kitchen + bathroom + heating circuits" stage wraps everything up in one go.
About subsidies - the rules of programmes (Ciepłe Mieszkanie, Czyste Powietrze) change and have their own intakes; check current conditions on the official programme websites or at your city hall (as of 12 July 2026). Our role is on the technical side: power balance, circuits, protections and reports - also for subsidy settlement. Book an installation assessment.
