Prosumer — definition, rights and billing

What is a prosumer?

A prosumer is a person who simultaneously produces and consumes electricity. The term combines the words "producer" and "consumer". In practice, a prosumer is most often a homeowner with a photovoltaic installation who produces electricity for their own needs and feeds surplus into the grid.

Quick Answer

A prosumer is a person who simultaneously produces and consumes electricity — the term blends "producer" and "consumer" — most often a homeowner with a rooftop photovoltaic installation up to 50 kWp feeding surplus into the grid. In Poland, billing follows one of two systems: net-metering (for installations registered before April 1, 2022, recovering 70–80% of fed energy for 15 years) or net-billing (for newer ones, selling surplus at the market RCEm price and buying back at higher retail price). Prosumers gain lower bills, a bidirectional meter, excise-tax exemption and access to subsidies like Mój Prąd.

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Who can be a prosumer?

In Poland, a prosumer can be:

• Individual person with a renewable energy installation up to 50 kWp
• Housing community
• Micro and small entrepreneur

The most popular form is rooftop photovoltaics — a 3–10 kWp installation for a typical household.

Prosumer billing systems

Net-metering (until 2022)

The "discount" system — the prosumer fed surplus energy into the grid and could retrieve:

• 80% of the fed energy (installation up to 10 kWp)
• 70% (installation above 10 kWp)

Prosumers who submitted applications before April 1, 2022, keep this system for 15 years.

Net-billing (from 2022)

New system for new prosumers:

• You sell surplus energy at market price (RCEm — Market Energy Price)
• You buy energy from the grid at retail price (higher)
• Revenue from sales goes to the prosumer deposit — you can use it to pay for energy drawn from the grid

The selling price is lower than the buying price, so self-consumption (using electricity when it's produced) is crucial for profitability.

Prosumer rights

• Right to connect renewable energy installation to the grid
• Free replacement of meter with a bidirectional one
• Billing in net-billing or net-metering system
• No need to run a business
• Exemption from excise tax on energy produced for own needs

Benefits of being a prosumer

1. Lower electricity bills — even by 70–90% in the net-metering system
2. Protection against price increases — you produce your own electricity
3. Income from surplus — in net-billing system you sell energy
4. Subsidies — Mój Prąd, Czyste Powietrze, thermal modernization relief
5. Increased property value — home with photovoltaics is more attractive

How Freenance can help

Freenance allows you to track savings from photovoltaics — you compare electricity bills before and after installation, see real ROI and the impact of being a prosumer on your household budget and Financial Freedom Runway.

👉 Track savings from photovoltaics — freenance.io

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FAQ

What does "prosumer" mean in the Polish energy market?

A prosumer is an entity that simultaneously produces and consumes electricity, most often from a rooftop photovoltaic (PV) installation. The status is regulated by the Polish Renewable Energy Sources Act (Ustawa o OZE) and gives access to simplified grid connection and dedicated billing systems. In practice, the vast majority of Polish prosumers are households with PV panels up to 50 kWp.

What is the difference between net-metering and net-billing?

Net-metering, available for installations registered before April 1, 2022, lets the prosumer recover 70-80% of the energy fed into the grid as a discount on consumption. Net-billing, mandatory for newer installations, treats the grid as a marketplace — surplus is sold at the wholesale RCEm price and consumption is paid at the higher retail price. Net-billing strongly rewards self-consumption during daylight hours.

How big can a prosumer PV installation be?

For individual households the cap is 50 kWp, though typical residential systems range from 3 to 10 kWp depending on roof size and consumption. Energy cooperatives and collective prosumers operate under separate rules with higher thresholds. Installations above 50 kWp move out of the prosumer regime and into commercial generation.

Do prosumers pay tax on electricity sold to the grid?

Energy produced for own consumption is exempt from excise duty. Under net-billing, the proceeds credited to the prosumer deposit are not treated as taxable income for natural persons not running a business — but rules for entrepreneurs differ. For an authoritative answer always check current KIS or Ministry of Finance guidance.

Is becoming a prosumer still profitable in Poland?

Profitability depends on electricity prices, self-consumption ratio, installation cost, and available subsidies such as Mój Prąd or the thermal modernisation tax relief. Payback periods on newer net-billing installations are typically longer than under the old net-metering scheme, often in the 8-12 year range. This article is educational and does not constitute investment or tax advice.