MEWA

By taking care of the air, we take care of our health. The MEWA programme financed by the Szczecin City is a follow-up to the Kawka programme funded from the state budget. Its objective is to co-finance the replacement of old furnaces in residents’ houses with more eco-friendly heating systems. We have thus declared war on smog!

The air we breathe in has a non-negligible impact on our overall well-being and health. While the air quality in our city has been on a steady level, in recent years it has received increasing attention. To this end, the city has made some efforts to improve the public transport system and promote eco-friendly solutions such as hybrid and electric buses or the city bike. These, however, seem to be only the tip of the iceberg. 

In fact, these are traditional furnaces using solid fuels that act as a major source of air pollution, including hazardous particulate matter PM 10, PM 2,5 and carbon dioxide. Such furnaces are still found in many Szczecin houses and flats, and their elimination is likely to materially contribute to reducing emissions of hazardous substances.

This objective is served by the recently-adopted MEWA programme, under which the replacement of outdated heating sources will be co-financed by the Szczecin City Commune. The idea is to permanently eliminate systems based on solid fuels (furnaces) and introduce more eco-friendly solutions. These include connections to the municipal heating network, gas or electric heating, renewable energy sources or pellet stoves.

Individual owners of flats and single-family houses, as well as housing cooperatives may apply for the co-funding. The programme is also addressed to commune-based public entities, enterprises and corporate persons. To obtain the co-funding, it is necessary to submit a timely application. Applications will be considered on the “first come, first served” basis. Own contributions to the investment are required.

The procedure of granting the subsidy finishes with concluding an agreement which defines the type of the investment, its scope and implementation conditions, the date of implementation and settlement, and the subsidy amount. The subsidy may cover up to 55% of total outlays, but not more than PLN 10,000 per investment. The co-funding also covers investments implemented before the date of the agreement, however not earlier than on 1 January 2015.

The subsidy can be used, inter alia, to cover the costs of work related to dismantling coal furnaces, preparing the necessary documentation, including opinions and designs, purchasing and assembling new heating systems, or establishing connections to the municipal heating network. The co-funding does not cover mobile heating devices. The heating sources to be installed must be brand new. In addition, the applicants may not apply for other subsidies to be used for the same purpose.

The programme is implemented under Resolution No. XLX/1167/18 of the Szczecin City Council of 24 April 2018 on determining the principles of granting designated subsidies from the Szczecin City budget on investments serving air protection purposes in the Szczecin City Commune, which involve replacing coal heating sources with more eco-friendly ones.  

A detailed description of the procedure can also be found on: http://bip.um.szczecin.pl/chapter_131133.asp