This year has seen the lowest need for heating for more than half a century in some parts of Finland, according to the Meteorological Institute. The agency keeps statistics on the demand for heating across Finland and has done so since 1961.
Those statistics show that this year households in Helsinki, Jyväskylä and Sodankylä have needed less heating than at any point since these records were first kept.
Cheaper energy and exceptionally warm weather have saved some households more than a hundred euros this year, according to Finnish Energy, and industry lobby group. Those households relying on electric heating have saved the most, according to the group.
Big savings
"Around one degree of warming reduces heating costs by five percent," estimates Jukka Leskelä of Finnish Energy (FE).
Finnish Energy estimates that between January and November detached houses that use electric heating have saved between 120 and 130 euros. The biggest savings have come during the colder months, with the mild November estimated by FE to have saved the average owner of a detached house some 25-30 euros.
The savings in apartment blocks are smaller due to the naturally smaller heating bills they have, but the bill for a three-room apartment hooked up to the district heating system has been some 70 euros smaller than usual in the first eleven months of the year.
Hannele Puusa-Ruohonen lives in a detached house in the Korso district of Vantaa, and she’s been delighted by the milder weather. In the coldest winter months her electricity bill can hit 300 euros, even though she also uses a wood burner to help heat her house.
Low oil prices
This winter there’s been no need to light the stove.
"You can see the warm weather in the bills, that’s for sure," said Puusa-Ruohonen. "When you have this kind of energy-intensive house, it’s a real Christmas present for us."
The low oil price has been another driver of lower energy prices for households. Heating oil currently costs around 66 cents a litre, some 20 cents less than it did one year ago.
Jukka Leskelä says that the best way for consumers to make use of low energy costs is to compare offers from different electricity providers, and be willing to switch if another is cheaper.
"It’s a really good time to compare energy companies and see how much could be saved," said Leskelä. "Surprisingly big savings are there if you’ve been passive up to now."
