Less "smokers" in the heating system

Every year during the heating season, the same problem returns to our region, just as it does throughout Poland: smog that is harmful to health. But there is also good news: air pollution in Mazovia has already clearly decreased and continues to fall.

The main source of air pollution in Poland is household heating systems, especially outdated, non-compliant stoves that fail to meet any emission standards—so-called “smokers”—in which almost anything can be burned. It is largely because of them that many towns in Mazovia still struggle with smog every winter, with tragic consequences for public health.

“It is estimated that in Mazovia there are 6,000 premature deaths annually caused by excessive air pollution. It contributes to many diseases—not only respiratory illnesses, but also cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks,” says Marcin Podgórski, Director of the Department of Waste Management, Emissions and Integrated Permits at the Marshal’s Office of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship in Warsaw.

Fighting Smog

To address this problem, the Mazovian regional government adopted an anti-smog resolution several years ago introducing restrictions and bans aimed, among other things, at replacing old “smokers” with new, clean heat sources and phasing out the fuels that most severely pollute the air (including coal sludge, lignite, and insufficiently dried wood).

An air protection program adopted for the region by the Mazovian Regional Assembly also serves this purpose. It obliges municipalities where air pollution standards are exceeded to undertake corrective actions, including inspections of stoves when there is suspicion that improper materials are being burned.

The regional government has also introduced support programs that provide municipalities with grants to reduce air pollution locally. These include “Mazovia for Clean Air,” “Mazovia for Clean Heat,” and the EU-co-financed “Mazovia Without Smog,” whose total budget amounts to nearly PLN 170 million (PLN 132 million from European funds, with the remainder coming from the regional budget).

“Nearly 100 Mazovian municipalities have joined this project,” says Director Podgórski with satisfaction.

Eco-advisers inform residents about how and where they can obtain subsidies to replace old stoves and carry out thermal retrofitting (which also reduces smog by lowering heating energy consumption). They also advise on selecting appropriate new heat sources.

Cleaner Air Already

All these measures, combined with the national “Clean Air” program, are delivering measurable results. In recent years, between 20,000 and 25,000 old stoves have been replaced annually in Mazovia. Although the pace is still too slow, it is already having a tangible impact on air quality.

“As early as 2024, there were no exceedances in Mazovia of the limits for hazardous particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10, although benzo(a)pyrene remains a problem,” says Director Podgórski. “There are also many municipalities in our region actively fighting smog that are already achieving spectacular results.”

This is the case, for example, in Warsaw, where more than 90% of old “smokers” have already been eliminated, and particulate matter concentrations have fallen by 30% since 2017. The city authorities attribute this to the work of eco-advisers and municipal subsidy programs supporting residents in replacing old heating systems.

Under “Mazovia Without Smog,” municipalities receive funding to hire so-called eco-advisers, purchase equipment to monitor air quality and inspect heating systems (including drones that collect samples from chimney smoke), acquire “smog vans,” and conduct educational campaigns.

Searching for Remedies

One might argue that Warsaw, with its financial capacity, had an easier task. However, many small Mazovian towns and rural municipalities—often less affluent and agricultural, located far from the capital—are also achieving excellent results.

They face particular challenges in combating smog. Not only due to limited funds, but also because large areas of rural Mazovia still lack gas pipelines. Where gas infrastructure has existed for years, many residents have willingly replaced coal stoves with more convenient gas boilers, also installing them in new homes. In short, municipalities with long-established gas networks have far fewer old “smokers” than those without access to grid gas.

For this reason, many Mazovian municipalities have sought to build or expand gas networks. The town and municipality of Gąbin, for example, succeeded in extending gas pipelines to additional localities. Largely thanks to this, Gąbin now ranks among the fastest municipalities in replacing old stoves. By the end of September last year, over 1,000 residents had applied for subsidies—mainly for stove replacement—under the “Clean Air” program. A local consultation and information point (established under the program) also contributed, as did numerous educational initiatives and meetings devoted to environmental issues.

“Now our participation in ‘Mazovia Without Smog’ helps us further. Thanks to it, we have an eco-adviser in our office and equipment for stove inspections. The mere fact that such equipment exists has already improved the situation,” says Krzysztof Jadczak, Mayor of Gąbin.

He adds that the municipality joined the program both out of concern for residents’ health and because many new residents are settling there, attracted by the pro-environmental character and natural surroundings of the area, including extensive forests and nearby lakes.

The Power of Education

In the rural municipality of Zbuczyn near Siedlce, more than 500 people have already replaced old stoves with support from the “Clean Air” program. It was one of the first rural municipalities in Mazovia to focus strongly on educating residents about smog risks and causes. Electronic boards displaying real-time air pollution data were installed early on, and sensors were placed near several schools.

“The key is to keep residents well informed,” says Jacek Kędzierski, eco-adviser in Zbuczyn. “Under ‘Mazovia Without Smog,’ we purchased a smog van and a thermal imaging camera. Simply scanning homes with a thermal camera significantly raises awareness, as many people previously did not realize how much heat escapes from their buildings.”

Local officials argue that education, encouragement, and assistance with subsidy applications are more effective in combating smog than mass inspections and penalties, as advocated by the Polish Smog Alert.

This approach is also effective in the rural municipality of Ostrów Mazowiecka, which operates its own subsidy program for replacing old stoves, combinable with national funding.

Thanks to these efforts, several hundred old stoves have already been replaced there.

Numerous Barriers

These figures are impressive given the many obstacles in rural areas. Many owners of outdated stoves are low-income residents. Even if eligible for subsidies, they often lack funds for the required own contribution. Some elderly residents argue that after their death no one will live in their homes, so investing in modernization seems pointless.

Another barrier is space: replacing a heat source often requires a boiler room, yet many older rural homes lack such facilities. Expansion would entail additional costs.

There is also the requirement to conduct an energy audit before applying for a “Clean Air” subsidy, costing around PLN 2,000. This discourages many applicants, as they must incur this expense without certainty of receiving funding. To address this, the municipality of Ostrów Mazowiecka plans to cover audit costs under “Mazovia Without Smog.”

Finally, over the past two years, the pace of stove replacement in Mazovia—like in all of Poland—has slowed. One reason was a crisis in the “Clean Air” program (now resolved). Another is that since early last year, no public funds can be used to subsidize replacement of old stoves with gas boilers. Gas boilers had been the most popular replacement option, especially in rural areas lacking district heating networks. Heat pumps are often unsuitable for older, poorly insulated homes with traditional radiator systems.

Previously, even without gas pipelines, many rural residents opted for gas boilers with individual fuel tanks. Now, without subsidies, demand has fallen.

Uncertainty about future energy prices also creates hesitation. Some residents consider old stoves safer than gas boilers or heat pumps, fearing potential price spikes or supply disruptions. However, local, decentralized renewable energy systems may offer a solution—an issue many Mazovian municipalities are beginning to address.

Under “Mazovia Without Smog,” the municipality of Ostrów Mazowiecka also offers free chimney inspections, for which more than 1,000 households qualified.

In 2025, the “Mazovia for Clean Air” program budget amounted to PLN 7.7 million, providing municipal governments with grants to co-finance stove replacement and building thermal retrofits.

Adam Struzik, Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, emphasizes that improving air quality requires both financial support for residents and raising ecological awareness. Thanks to “Mazovia Without Smog,” municipalities have purchased over 700 air-quality and stove-inspection devices, 64 smog vans, and hired 110 eco-advisers, whose guidance has already been used by nearly 5,000 people.