Guide for residents
How the Finnish spot electricity price works
Finland is one bidding zone in the Nordic day-ahead market. Every afternoon the exchange publishes the price for each hour of the next day, and a spot contract bills you exactly those prices plus a small margin. This guide explains where the numbers come from and what they mean for a household.
The price right now
Current hour 1.61 c/kWh, today's average 0.70 c/kWh, including VAT. The full day and tomorrow are on the live price page. Live price page
How the hourly price is set
Producers and buyers bid into the day-ahead auction for each hour. Wind, hydro, nuclear and imports on one side, consumption on the other. When wind is strong and demand low, the price falls to a few cents or even below zero. On still, cold winter days it can pass 30 or 50 cents an hour.
Prices are quoted without VAT per megawatt hour. Finnish sites, including this one, show cents per kilowatt hour with VAT of 25.5 % added, which is what you actually pay.
What is added on your bill
- Your seller's margin, usually 0.3 to 0.7 cents per kilowatt hour, plus a monthly fee of a few euros.
- The grid transfer fee, set by your local grid company: around 3 to 6 cents per kilowatt hour plus a basic fee.
- Electricity tax, about 2.9 cents per kilowatt hour for homes, including VAT.
So a spot price of 5 cents becomes roughly 11 to 14 cents all in. Only the first line is something you can shop around for.
When electricity is cheapest
Nights and weekends are cheapest, afternoons and early evenings in winter the priciest. Summer months average a few cents, January and February the most. A spot contract rewards running the dishwasher, washing machine and car charging at night; many homes automate heating and charging against the published prices.
Is spot right for a newcomer?
Spot has been the cheapest choice over any full year since 2023, but single winter months have run two to three times the annual average. If a surprise bill would hurt, start with a fixed price for the first winter and switch to spot afterwards; switching is free and takes two weeks.
Past prices by month
The monthly history pages show the average, cheapest and priciest days for every month since 2023, so you can see what a winter actually cost.
Frequently asked questions
Is the spot price the same across Finland?
Yes. Finland is a single price zone, so the hourly price is the same in Helsinki and Rovaniemi. Transfer fees differ by grid company, which is why total costs vary by address.
Can the price go negative?
Yes, on windy days with low demand. Sellers may floor the energy price at zero or pass the negative price on; your margin and fees still apply either way.
Where do the prices on this site come from?
From the day-ahead prices published for the Finnish price area, via the sahkotin.fi API, with VAT added. Monthly averages are calculated over every hour of the month in Finnish time.
Written for people living in Finland. Prices in the tables update automatically from the operators' current offers; the rules described were checked in September 2026.