On move-in day, all your attention goes to the contract, the keys and the state of the apartment. The question of whose name the utilities are in usually gets thirty seconds — which is a mistake, because it decides how you'll pay for utilities for the entire lease and what risks you're carrying. If the supplier contracts stay in the landlord's name, you pay through them — fixed advances (zaliczki), an annual settlement, and potentially disputed extra charges (dopłaty) that resurface later as deposit deductions. If the meter is transferred to you, you see the actual bills with your own eyes and pay for what you actually use. And if the previous tenant left a debt on the meter, you want to find out before signing — not when the supplier threatens to cut the power.
Here's what can realistically be transferred to a tenant in Poland, what can't be transferred at all, and how the procedure works step by step.
What can go in your name — and what can't
Electricity (prąd) — yes. The contract is with a specific supplier — PGE, Tauron, Enea or E.ON, depending on the region; in Warsaw it's most often E.ON (formerly innogy). Handing the contract over to a tenant is a routine procedure: either a cesja (assignment of the existing contract) or terminating the old one and signing a new one in your name. Suppliers don't care whether you own or rent — what matters to them is who actually uses the meter and pays.
Gas — yes. Household gas is supplied mostly by the former PGNiG, which now operates under the Orlen brand (invoices and the app say myORLEN, but it's the same company). The procedure mirrors electricity: a handover document with the meter reading and an application to change the payer.
Water and district heating — usually no. These are billed to the building, not the apartment: the parties are the housing cooperative (spółdzielnia) or homeowners' association (wspólnota) and the apartment's owner. For a tenant this means water and heating always sit inside the czynsz administracyjny (the building fee), you pay them as advances through the landlord, and once a year a settlement arrives. You can't transfer them to your name — you can only record the starting readings and check the settlement when it comes.
Transferring electricity, step by step
The procedure is the same at every major supplier, and — importantly — it's free.
- Take the meter reading together with the landlord. Everything rests on the protokół zdawczo-odbiorczy — the handover protocol: a document with the meter number and the reading on the day the apartment changes hands, signed by both parties. Most suppliers have a ready-made template on their website.
- Submit the transfer application. The easiest route is online: in the supplier's customer portal (eBOK at PGE, Mój TAURON, myORLEN for gas) the landlord fills in their part of the form and sends you a link to complete yours. You can also do it at a customer service office — ideally both of you together.
- Have the documents ready. Usually all you need is the rental contract (as proof you have the right to use the apartment), ID documents for both parties, the meter number and the reading.
- Don't sit on it. The transfer itself takes anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, and suppliers ask for the paperwork within about two weeks of the handover.
One nuance worth knowing: until the contract is transferred, the person named on it is formally liable for consumption. A previous tenant's debts stay with them — but only if the reading on the handover date is recorded in the protocol. Without it, an argument about who burned those kilowatts turns into your word against theirs.
The three billing models — and where the risk sits in each
- Everything stays with the landlord, you pay advances (zaliczki). The most common setup in Warsaw: a fixed monthly amount on top of rent, and every 6–12 months a settlement with a dopłata or a refund. Convenient, but it needs oversight — how to check whether a dopłata was calculated honestly is covered in our guide to dopłaty and settlements.
- Electricity and gas transferred to you. The cleanest setup for a longer lease: bills come to you directly, you pay for actual consumption, there's nothing to argue about with the landlord, and no surprises trailing you at move-out. The only downside is the paperwork at move-in and move-out.
- Ryczałt — one flat fee "for everything". Looks simple, but it's risky: nobody knows the real consumption. Use little and you overpay every month; use a lot and sooner or later the landlord will try to raise the amount retroactively or take the difference out of your deposit.
What to record at move-in, whichever model you choose
Whatever you agree on, record these on the day you get the keys: the readings of every meter — electricity, gas, cold and hot water — their serial numbers, and photos with a visible date. All of it belongs in the handover protocol, signed by both parties. It's your only protection against the previous tenant's debts, against an inflated settlement, and against deposit deductions when you leave. How to draw up the protocol properly is in our dedicated guide to the protokół zdawczo-odbiorczy.
What utilities actually cost
So you know what money is at stake: according to Passflat tenant data (August 2026), the median amount Warsaw tenants pay on top of base rent — czynsz administracyjny plus utilities and dopłaty — is about 800 zł per month. The detailed breakdown by district and building type is in our Warsaw rent prices report.
That number is a practical negotiating tool. If the advances you're offered are well below the median — say, 300–400 zł "for everything" — they're probably underestimated, and a large dopłata is waiting for you a year down the line; the mechanics are explained in the dopłaty article. If they're well above it, it's fair to ask what's inside the number and to see previous bills.
What to do right now
If you're still choosing an apartment, check the building's real costs before signing — tenants there may already have shared their numbers, advances and dopłaty included. And if you've already moved in and the first bills are on the table, add your costs — it takes two minutes, no account needed, and the next tenant of your building will know what's coming.