Overview of grid
There are no specific laws regulating the heating and cooling grids in Finland. The approach to the heating grid is market-oriented; in principle, heat providers are in competition with each other. Nevertheless, there is usually only one district heat operator in a city or a municipality. In 2019, district heating supplied heat for 53% of Finnish households. Some of the district heating operators are fully or partly owned by the municipality whereas others are private actors. If there is only one district heating supplier operating in the area, the consumers cannot choose between different suppliers but they can choose to heat their residence with another form of heating. Especially detached house owners tend to opt for electric heating or having their own boilers/heat pumps installed.
Although there is no specific legislation applying to district heating, district heating companies are subject to general legislation, such as competition and consumer protection legislation, and regulated by related authorities, such as the Energy Authority or the Finnish Competition Authority.
Connection to the grid
Grid connection is a bilateral agreement between the generator owner and the DSO, and it is not regulated by any specific legislation.
Use of the grid
The grid operates under the non-discrimination criteria.
Competent authorities
Energiavirasto