Heat cost allocators

A heat cost allocator (regardless of its design or type) is not a measuring instrument within the meaning of the Act of 14 October 2021 – Law on Measurements (Journal of Laws of 2021, item 2068 (consolidated text of the Act)). In accordance with the provisions of Article 4(5) of that Act, a measuring instrument is a device, a measuring system or its components, intended to carry out measurements independently or in conjunction with one or more ancillary devices. Heat cost allocators are not measuring instruments, as they do not measure any physical size (including heat) – most often, the change in their readings (expressed in unmarked divisions) depends on the surface temperature of the radiator at the point of installation of the allocator and the duration of heat emission by the radiator.

The application of heat cost allocators makes it possible to calculate charges individually based on the actual amount of heat used in each flat. Thanks to these devices, each user has a real say in the amount of their bills. In buildings with a so-called vertical central heating system, heat cost allocators are currently the only solution available that allows these benefits to be realised.

A heat cost allocator is a device that measures two temperatures: that of the radiator and the ambient temperature.
The higher the radiator temperature and the longer it is recorded by the heat cost allocator, the greater the proportion of that radiator’s contribution to total heat consumption.

Heat meters are devices used to measure the amount of thermal energy flowing through a system; their readings are expressed in SI units (usually gigajoules, GJ) and form the basis for billing between the energy supplier and the consumer. Heat meters comprise a converter, 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 constructed up to the early 1990s), technical constraints usually allow for the installation of only one (main) heat meter, measuring the energy consumption supplied to the entire building, which simultaneously becomes the end user for the supplier.
Heat cost allocators are measuring devices that record the surface temperature of a radiator over time. They are used for billing purposes and enable the heat supplied to the building to be allocated to individual flats. More specifically, they allow the proportion of heat emitted by individual radiators to be determined within the total amount of heat measured by the main meter, installed at the point where the system enters the building.

The reading on the heat cost allocator depends on the surface temperature of the radiator. The higher the temperature, and the longer it remains at that level, the higher the reading.
The process of calculating units begins precisely when two conditions are met simultaneously:
a) the surface temperature of the radiator exceeds 23 degrees Celsius
b) the surface temperature of the radiator is at least 4.5 Kelvin higher than the ambient temperature.
These requirements are set out in the technical specifications for Apator Powogaz heat cost allocators. At the same time, they ensure an extremely precise and reliable process for recording the heat output of radiators.

No. The conditions that must be met for the heat cost allocator to start recording heat consumption by the radiator effectively eliminate the influence of any other household appliances. Crucially, users can easily check this themselves. To do this, simply check the device’s display to see whether, at the end of the heating season – when the radiators are certainly no longer giving off any heat, whilst other audio-visual or household appliances are operating normally (fridge, cooker, oven, computer, etc.) – the heat cost allocator readings are registering any new units. The reading on the heat cost allocator should remain the same between the end of one heating season and the start of the next.

The amount a particular user can save naturally depends on their individual heat consumption. Nevertheless, the very fact that you can pay only for your own consumption, without having to worry about or contribute to your neighbours’ costs – especially those who are most wasteful with their heating – can mean a significant reduction in your bills. For a flat of around 50^m², the potential savings can amount to as much as several hundred zlotys a year. When comparing heating charges, it is particularly worth paying attention to the cost of heating the flat per^{square metre}, as well as the amount of monthly advance payments for central heating. It turns out that for flats equipped with heat cost allocators, these payments are usually significantly lower.

State-of-the-art devices capable of wireless data transmission are now available. This means that users no longer need to remember to make their homes available to the meter reader at a set time, nor do they have to put up with the associated inconveniences (such as an unsuitable reading time being imposed that clashes with the household’s daily routine). Data is read remotely without external interference and without the need to enter each flat. At the same time, residents retain full control and access to the consumption figures recorded by the heat cost allocators. These can be called up and checked on the device’s display at any time, and then verified against the data included in the individual flat’s billing statement.

Under the relevant Polish regulations, the fundamental and essential requirement is that a building’s central heating system must allow users to regulate the heat supply to individual radiators in their flats. Heat cost allocators can therefore be installed if the radiators are fitted with thermostatic heads (valves) that allow the flow of hot water to be shut off, giving you direct control over the amount of heat consumed in your flat.

The primary piece of legislation governing the allocation of costs for the purchase of heat supplied to a building containing residential and commercial premises is the Energy Law Act – Journal of Laws of 19 April 2021, item 716 (consolidated text of the Act). Specifically, Article 45a(8) stipulates that these costs may be settled using methods based on readings from heat meters or readings from metering devices (i.e. heat cost allocators), or on the basis of the floor area or volume of the premises. In the following passage, the Act states that the owner or manager of a multi-unit building shall choose a method for settling the total costs of heat purchase such that ‘(…) it encourages energy-saving behaviour and ensures that the charges referred to in paragraph 4 are determined in a manner corresponding to the consumption of heat for heating (…)’.
Implementing act: Regulation of the Minister of Climate and Environment of 7 December 2021 on the conditions for determining the technical feasibility and cost-effectiveness of the application of heat meters, heat cost allocators and hot water meters for measuring domestic hot water, the conditions for selecting the method of settling heat purchase costs, and the scope of information contained in individual bills.

Yes. Wireless radio remote reading is not harmful to health. This is confirmed by the declarations of conformity issued for the radio modules by the manufacturer, in accordance with specific European Directives and harmonised standards.

The heat cost allocator is typically calibrated for a power rating of 5000 W – for radiators with a lower power rating (which are generally installed in flats), the recorded readings are adjusted by the so-called radiator coefficient. The scaling of the heat cost allocator depends on its power rating and the type and model of the radiator. This means that the coefficient for different types of radiators – e.g. cast iron panel radiators, steel panel radiators, aluminium radiators – but with the same power rating [W] – will differ from one another.