Electricity & gas in Finland: your rights
The rules that protect you as an electricity and gas customer in Finland, and who to contact. Every fact is checked on an official source.
What is going on?
Everything at a glance
The market
You can freely choose your electricity seller; the local network company stays the same. Natural gas sellers can be changed since 2020, but only where a gas network exists and more than one seller operates.
Dispute resolution
Kuluttajariitalautakunta · free
First complain to the company in writing. If that fails, contact the KKV consumer advice service (09 5110 1200); the board may refuse your case if you skip this step. Then apply to the board.
Switching supplier
Make the new contract at least two weeks before it should start; the new seller ends your old contract for you. An open-ended contract can be ended with two weeks' notice. A fixed-term contract runs to its end date (after two years if longer).
Price rises
On an open-ended contract the seller must announce a price or terms change one month before it takes effect; if you don't accept it, you can terminate with two weeks' notice. On a fixed-term contract the price can change only due to new laws or official decisions.
Regulated price
There is no state-set price. But every area has a seller with an obligation to supply: it must offer electricity at a reasonable price on an open-ended contract (not only spot price) and may not terminate your contract. Your network company can tell you who it is.
Help if money is tight
There is no social electricity tariff. If you have trouble paying, ask the company for extra time or a payment plan, and contact Kela, as electricity is an essential service.
Protection against cut-off
A cut-off warning can come two weeks after a payment reminder; power can be cut at the earliest five weeks after the due date. Serious illness or unemployment: two months. Electrically heated permanent homes: not before four months from October to April.
If your supplier goes bust
If your seller stops trading, your network company supplies you for at least three weeks, but not at your old price. Sign a new contract quickly; otherwise Energiavirasto moves you to the area's seller with an obligation to supply.
Power cut
Report outages to your local network company. After a continuous outage of 12 hours or more you get automatic standard compensation: 10% of your annual network fees (12–24 h) up to 200% (288 h or more), capped at 200% or €2,000 a year.
Cooling-off period
An electricity contract sold by phone binds you only if you accept the written offer afterwards. You can still cancel within 14 days of making the contract. The same 14-day right applies to door-to-door sales.
Smart meter
Most household meters can already measure in 15-minute steps. Your network company will reprogram or replace all meters for 15-minute metering by the end of 2028, free of charge. You can see your consumption in Fingrid's Datahub.
Solar panels
For home systems up to 100 kVA, electricity taken from and fed into the grid within each settlement period is netted, and the net figure is used for billing. Surplus is sold under a separate deal, usually with your electricity seller.
Free energy advice
Each region (except Åland) has a free, impartial energy adviser funded by Energiavirasto for questions on saving energy, heating, heat pumps and solar power.
Fixed and dynamic contracts
Electricity contracts come as fixed-price, variable-price (for example exchange-price 'pörssisähkö') or hybrid contracts. Since 1 June 2023 the seller with the obligation to supply in your area must offer an exchange-price contract, but it may not be its only supply-obligation contract.
- At the end of 2025, 42% of retail contracts were fixed-term, 34% exchange-price and 24% open-ended. On a fixed-term contract the price can change only because of new laws or official decisions. (energiavirasto.fi)
- Since 1 July 2025: if you end a fixed-term contract early, a termination fee may be charged only if the contract says so, and it may not exceed the seller's direct loss. (energiavirasto.fi)
- The Government bill implementing the EU's new electricity market design (Directive (EU) 2024/1711, including the fixed-term fixed-price contract rule) is still being prepared; it is planned for week 45/2026. (valtioneuvosto.fi)
Energy sharing and communities
A housing company can set up an energy community inside its property. Electricity from, say, its solar panels is used first at the property's own meter; the surplus is credited to residents' apartments by agreed shares (hyvityslaskenta). No new meters are needed.
- All members must be on the same property (or equivalent group of properties) and connected to the grid through the same connection. Members register with the network company, which runs the calculation in the datahub. Legal basis: Government Decree 767/2021. (motiva.fi)
Heating without the gas grid
Unlike electricity, water and natural gas, district heating (kaukolämpö) to consumers is not regulated by its own law. As a consumer you can take a dispute, for example about a price increase, to the Kuluttajariitalautakunta.
- In 2022 the board found Helen's district heating increases partly unreasonable; as a general rule it considered an energy price increase of up to 15% a year still reasonable. (kuluttajariita.fi)
- Metering and billing of district heating are regulated by the Energy Efficiency Act. New buildings need remotely readable meters; existing meters must be converted by 31 December 2026. (energiavirasto.fi)
- A district heating company holds a dominant position in its network area. The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV) can investigate whether it abuses that position, for example with unreasonable prices. (kkv.fi)
Grants for heat pumps and insulation
Varke's Energia-avustus 2026–2027 helps housing companies and owners of state-subsidised rental or right-of-occupancy homes improve energy efficiency: up to 50% of approved costs, at most €4,000 per dwelling. Applications open 28 September 2026.
- Private homeowners cannot apply for Energia-avustus. Work should start only after applying; work begun after 1 June 2026 can still be applied for until 31 December 2026. (varke.fi)
- Household tax credit (kotitalousvähennys) 2026: up to €1,600 per person a year, or €3,500 for work to replace oil heating; a €150 threshold per person applies. (vero.fi)
- The state grant for detached houses giving up oil heating (€4,000 for district heating or a ground-source or air-to-water heat pump) closed to new applications on 25 May 2026. (elinvoimakeskus.fi)
Back-billing and estimated bills
Electricity must be billed on actual consumption at least four times a year; an estimate may be used only if meter data is not available. An incorrect or late bill counts as a defect, giving you a right to a price reduction and damages.
- Meters that do not record hourly must be read at least four times a year. If you do not send a reading when asked, the network company may estimate it from your earlier use. (energiavirasto.fi)
Energy costs for tenants
A tenant pays only the charges agreed in the tenancy agreement. If it names only the rent, electricity, water or parking cannot be billed separately. For consumption-based charges the landlord must give information on actual use.
- If the utility changes its rates, the landlord must tell you without delay, but may raise your charges only if the agreement allows it. (kkv.fi)
- In state-subsidised rental homes, water may be included in the rent, charged per person or by metered use; usage charges must match actual costs. Where apartment water meters were installed after 23 November 2020, the charge must be based on measured use. (ohjeet.varke.fi)
- The Kuluttajariitalautakunta handles disputes between tenants and landlords, including private landlords. (kuluttajariita.fi)
Grid connection
For a new house or cottage, make a connection agreement with the local network company; in blocks of flats and terraced housing companies the housing company decides. Since 1 July 2025 a connection to the distribution network must normally be ready within six months.
- Energiavirasto has confirmed the methods for setting connection fees. You have the right to a comprehensive and sufficiently detailed estimate of connection costs from the network company. (energiavirasto.fi)
- A longer time is allowed only if the scope or technical work, or another special reason, requires it. Network companies must handle customer complaints simply, fairly and promptly. (energiavirasto.fi)