A grid company (verkkoyhtiö) owns and runs the electricity network in your area and delivers electricity to your home, and you can't choose it because it depends on where you live. You can find yours on the Energy Authority's network map, and you pay it a separate distribution charge on top of what you pay your electricity seller.
What a grid company does
Electricity in Finland involves two companies. The seller sells you the energy. The grid company brings it to your home through its network of power lines and cables.
The Energy Authority (Energiavirasto) says there are 77 distribution network companies in Finland. Each one has a licence from the Energy Authority to serve its own area. The grid company:
- delivers electricity to customers in its area
- maintains and develops the network
- bills you for distribution, the transfer of electricity to your home
Why you can't choose your grid company
The Energy Authority calls electricity distribution a natural monopoly. Building parallel networks would be uneconomic and would make supply less reliable. So each area has one network company, and whoever lives there uses it.
Competition happens on the energy side only. You can pick any seller, but your distribution charges stay the same whichever seller you choose.
How you become a customer
You don't usually need to contact the grid company yourself. When you make a new electricity contract for a new home, the Energy Authority says the new seller cancels your old contract and makes the network contract for your new home on your behalf. Make the electricity contract at least two weeks before you want it to start.
What you pay the grid company
The distribution charge covers delivering electricity to your home and the cost of maintaining and developing the network. On your bill it has two parts:
- A fixed monthly charge, whatever you use.
- A price per kilowatt hour (kWh), based on how much electricity you use.
The price per kWh depends on your metering method:
| Metering method | How the price works |
|---|---|
| General electricity | The same price at any time of day |
| Time-based | One price for daytime and another for night-time |
| Seasonal | One price for winter days and another for the rest of the year |
The Energy Authority says you can change your metering method free of charge once a year.
The grid company's bill also carries the taxes. The Energy Authority explains that electricity tax and the strategic stockpile fee are billed with the network service charge. VAT of 25.5% is added on top.
Most homes get one bill from the seller and one from the grid company. If your seller is your local electricity company, both may come on a single invoice.
How transfer prices are controlled
Because you can't switch, the Energy Authority supervises what grid companies charge:
- Grid companies may earn a reasonable return on the money invested in their networks.
- The supervision methods are set for eight years at a time, and results are checked in four-year periods.
- If a company has charged too much, it has to correct this in later periods, for example through lower charges.
- A network company may not raise its distribution tariff by more than 8% compared with what it charged in the previous 12 months.
Why prices differ by area
Distribution charges vary across Finland. The Energy Authority says they are generally lowest in the largest cities. In sparsely populated areas, the distances are long and the costs are shared between fewer customers, so charges tend to be higher.
Examples of big grid companies
| Grid company | Where it operates |
|---|---|
| Helen Sähköverkko (Helen Electricity Network) | Helsinki |
| Caruna Espoo | Espoo, Kauniainen, Kirkkonummi and central Joensuu |
| Caruna | Mainly rural areas in its service regions |
| Elenia | Finland's second largest distribution system operator |
Helen Sähköverkko says it distributes electricity to everyone in Helsinki. Since February 2024, Helen Electricity Network Ltd has sent the network service invoices in its area itself. If you are moving to Helsinki, this is your grid company.
Caruna has two network companies. Caruna Espoo Oy works mainly in urban areas: Espoo, Kauniainen, Kirkkonummi and the centre of Joensuu. Caruna Oy works mainly in rural areas. If you are moving to Espoo, Caruna Espoo runs the network there.
Elenia describes itself as the second largest distribution system operator in Finland.
These are only examples. There are 77 grid companies in total, so yours may be a smaller local one.
How to find your grid company
The quickest way is the Energy Authority's network operator map . Click on your area and it shows the name of the network company responsible for it. The page is in Finnish.
You don't need to know the name to get connected, because your seller arranges the network contract. But it helps to know who will bill you for distribution and who to contact about a power cut.
If you want to lower your bill, the part you can change is the energy. You can compare electricity contracts for your address.
Landed's free checklist includes setting up electricity in your new home.
Quick checklist
- Find your grid company on the Energy Authority's network map.
- Make your electricity contract with a seller at least two weeks before moving in.
- Let the seller arrange the network contract for you.
- Check your metering method and change it once a year if it suits you.
- Expect a separate bill from the grid company, including electricity tax.
