Heat cost allocators

The heating cost allocator (regardless of the type of construction and type) is not a measuring device within the meaning of the Act of October 14, 2021. − Law on Measures (Journal Of Laws of 2021, item 2068 (consolidated text). Pursuant to the provisions of art. 4 point 5 of this Act, a measuring instrument is a device, a measuring system or its components, intended to perform measurements alone or in combination with one or more additional devices. Heating cost allocators are not measuring devices, because they do not measure any physical quantity (including heat) - most often the increase in their indications (expressed in non-nominated divisions) depends on the temperature of the radiator surface at the place of installation of the allocator and the time of heat dissipation by the radiator.

The use of cost allocators makes it possible to individually set fees for the actually used heat in individual apartments. Thanks to them, each user has a real impact on the amount of their bills.
In the case of buildings with vertical central heating installation, allocators are the only solution available today that allows you to achieve these benefits.

The cost allocator is a device that measures two temperatures: of the heater and the environment.  
The higher the temperature of the radiator and the longer it is recorded by the allocator, the greater the share of this radiator in the total consumption of thermal energy.

A heat meter is an instrument used to measure the amount of flowing thermal energy, the indication of which is expressed in units of measurement in the SI system (usually gigajoules GJ) and is the basis for settlements between the supplier and the recipient of this energy. The heat meter consists of a calculator, a flow transducer and a pair of temperature probes. In the case of buildings equipped with a vertical central heating system (which includes almost all buildings erected before the early 1990s), technical conditions usually allow only one (main) heat meter to be installed, measuring the consumption of energy supplied to the entire building, who at the same time becomes the final recipient for the supplier. Allocators are indicator devices that record the course of the radiator surface temperature over time. They are used for billing purposes and enable the division of heat supplied to the building between individual apartments. More precisely, they allow to determine the share of heat given off by individual radiators in the total amount of heat measured by the main meter installed at the entrance of the installation to the building.

The height of the cost allocator indication depends on the radiator surface temperature. The higher it is, and the longer it lasts, the greater the reading.  The process of calculating units begins exactly when two conditions are met simultaneously:
a) the surface temperature of the radiator exceeds 23 degrees Celsius,
b) the surface temperature of the heater is at least 4.5 Kelvin above the ambient temperature.  
The above requirements are included in the technical specification of Apator Powogaz cost allocators. At the same time, they ensure an extremely precise and reliable process of recording the consumption of heat given off by radiators.

No. The conditions that must be met for the allocator to start recording heat consumption by the radiator effectively eliminate the influence of any other household appliances. What is very important, the user can check it in a very easy and simple way. For this purpose, it is enough to observe on the device's display whether after the end of the heating season, when the radiators certainly no longer give off any heat, while other electronics or household appliances work normally (refrigerator, cooker, oven, computer, etc.), the indications of the allocators register any new units. The value of the allocator reading in the period between the end of one heating season and the beginning of the next one should remain the same.

The amount that a particular user can save depends, of course, on the individual heat consumption. However, the very fact that you can only pay for yourself, without looking back and without participating in the costs of your neighbours, especially those who manage heat most carelessly, can mean a significant reduction in bills. In the case of a flat with an area of about 50m2, the potential benefits can reach up to several hundred zlotys per year. When comparing heat charges, it is worth paying particular attention to the cost of heating the apartment per 1m2, as well as the amount of monthly advance payments for central heating. It turns out that in the case of apartments with dividers, they are usually much lower.

At present, the latest technology devices with the possibility of radio data transmission are already available. Thanks to this, users do not have to remember to make their apartments available to the employees of the settlement operator at the appointed time and all the related inconveniences (e.g. imposed inappropriate reading time, interfering with the daily duties of household members). The data is read remotely, without outside interference and without the need to enter each apartment. At the same time, residents retain full control and access to the consumption values recorded by the allocators. At any time, they can be called up and checked on the device's display, and then verified with the data included in the individual apartment settlement.

Pursuant to the applicable Polish regulations in this regard, the basic and at the same time necessary requirement is that the building's central heating system should allow users to regulate the heat supply to individual radiators in apartments. Therefore, the allocators can be installed if there are thermostatic heads (valves) next to the radiators, which enable closing the inflow of the heating stream, thanks to which you have a direct impact on the amount of heat consumed in your apartment.

The basic legal act regulating the issue of settling the costs of purchasing heat for a building in which residential and commercial premises are located is the Energy Law Act - Journal of Laws of April 19, 2021, item 716 (consolidated text of the Act). In detail, Article 45a(8) states that these costs may be settled using methods using heat meter indications or indications of indicator devices (i.e. allocators), or on the basis of the area or volume of premises. In the next section, the said Act says that the owner or manager of a multi-unit building selects the method of settling the total costs of heat purchase so that it "(...) stimulates energy-saving behaviour and ensures that the fees referred to in section 4, in a manner corresponding to the heat consumption for heating (...)".
The Executive act:
Regulation of the Minister of Climate and Environment of December 7, 2021 on the conditions for determining the technical feasibility and cost-effectiveness of using heat meters, heating cost allocators and water meters for measuring hot utility water, conditions for choosing the method of settling heat purchase costs and the scope of information contained in individual settlements.

Yes. Radio wireless remote reading is not harmful to health. This is confirmed by declarations of conformity issued for radio modules, issued by the Manufacturer, based on specific European Directives and harmonized standards.

As a standard, the allocator is scaled to the power of 5000 W – for radiators with a lower power (and such are usually installed in apartments) the registered units are reduced by the so-called radiator coefficient.
The scaling of the allocator depends on its power and the type and type of radiator.
This means that the coefficient for radiators of different types, e.g. ribbed cast iron, steel plate, aluminium radiators – but with the same power [W] – will be different.