You cannot live in Finland without signing an electricity contract, and you can do it badly or well in the same ten minutes. This page explains the system so the comparison table makes sense.
Two companies, one socket
The seller (sähkönmyyjä) sells you the energy. You choose it freely from dozens of companies; the big names are Fortum, Helen, Vattenfall, Väre, Oomi, Lumme and Nordic Green Energy. Switching is free and takes two weeks.
The grid company (verkkoyhtiö) owns the wires to your building and bills you for transmission (siirto). It is decided by your address: Helen Sähköverkko in Helsinki, Caruna in much of southern Finland, Elenia in the west and centre, and local companies elsewhere. You cannot change it.
So your electricity cost is: energy (seller, your choice) + transmission (grid, fixed) + taxes. Transmission is often the bigger half of a small apartment's bill.
Contract types
| Type | Finnish | How it prices | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spot price | pörssisähkö | the hourly Nordic market price plus the seller's margin (a fraction of a cent per kWh) plus a monthly fee | most apartments; people who can shift laundry and dishwashing to cheap hours |
| Fixed price | kiinteähintainen, määräaikainen | one price per kWh for one or two years | electrically heated homes; people who want no surprises |
| Open-ended general | toistaiseksi voimassa oleva | the seller sets the price and can change it with notice | the default you end up with if you never chose; usually the worst deal |
With a spot contract, compare the margin (marginaali) and the monthly fee (perusmaksu); the energy price itself is the same for everyone. With a fixed contract, compare the price per kWh, the fee and the term.
What you will use
| Home | Typical yearly use | What matters most |
|---|---|---|
| Studio or one-bedroom flat, district heating | 1,000 to 2,000 kWh | the monthly fee; energy is small |
| Family flat, district heating | 2,000 to 3,500 kWh | fee and margin |
| House, electric heating, sauna | 15,000 to 25,000 kWh | the price per kWh above everything; consider fixed for winter |
District heating (kaukolämpö) warms most apartment buildings and is included in your rent or the housing company's charge. Your electricity contract covers lights, cooking, appliances and the electric sauna if there is one in the flat.
Signing up
- Choose a seller and contract on the official comparison site sahkonhinta.fi or on the DailyFinnish electricity comparison.
- On the seller's site, give your address, move-in date, henkilötunnus and email. Strong authentication with bank credentials is usually required.
- The seller informs the grid company. The transmission contract starts automatically.
- The first bill arrives in about a month. Set up e-invoicing (e-lasku) in your online bank so the bills pay themselves.
Do this before you move in. Without a contract the grid company will supply power for a short time at a high default price and then cut it.
Reading the bill
| Line | Finnish | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| energy | sähköenergia | kWh used × price, from the seller |
| transmission | sähkön siirto | kWh used × grid tariff, from the grid company |
| monthly fees | perusmaksu | fixed fee, on both bills |
| electricity tax | sähkövero | included in the transmission bill |
| VAT | ALV | on everything |
Paying less
- Choose spot with a low margin and fee for a small flat; the difference between sellers is mostly the fee.
- Run the dishwasher and washing machine at night or on weekends when spot prices are lowest; the grid company's app shows the hourly price.
- Do not leave the sauna on; a flat's electric sauna is the biggest single load.
- Check the contract once a year. Introductory prices end and the open-ended default is expensive.
The current best-value contracts, with the margins and fees compared, are on the electricity comparison.