District heating prices 2026: a city-by-city comparison

Updated 5 October 2026. Price data: Finnish Energy, district heating price statistics 1 July 2026.

When smaller localities are included, the gap grows even steeper. In the most expensive locality, Kristinestad, the same building's bill is over 100,000 euros a year, while in the cheapest, Haapajärvi, it is about 34,300 euros. The most expensive is more than three times the cheapest.

District heating prices 2026 in a table

The table shows district heating prices on 1 July 2026 for a typical apartment block (600 MWh/year, 230 kW). All prices include taxes (VAT 25.5%). The total price in €/MWh is the unit price for comparing cities directly. The total cost in €/year shows what the bill means in euros for this building.

The ten largest cities from most to least expensive

Most expensive localities

The same small-network effect also works the other way. The cheapest in the whole comparison is Haapajärvi (Haapajärven Lämpö), where the total price is 57.1 €/MWh, or about 34,272 euros a year for the typical apartment block.

Source: Finnish Energy, district heating price statistics 1 July 2026. Cities are selected by population (Association of Finnish Municipalities, 31 December 2025). The figures are calculated for Finnish Energy's typical building so that cities are comparable. Your housing company's actual bill depends on its own consumption and capacity, so it can differ from the table.

What the price of district heating is made of

The price of district heating has two parts. The energy charge (€/MWh) is paid according to the heat used, so the more the building consumes, the more energy charge accumulates. The capacity charge, or basic charge, is a fixed monthly charge set by the building's heating capacity rather than the month's consumption. How that capacity is determined varies by company: some use an agreed contracted capacity, others calculate it from consumption in previous years. The capacity charge is paid even when heating demand is low. VAT of 25.5% comes on top, and it is already included in the figures in this article.

Comparing two cities by the energy charge alone is easily misleading, because the capacity charge can be a large part of the bill. Vantaa is a good example: its energy charge of 43.5 €/MWh is the lowest of the ten largest cities, but its capacity charge of 50.2 €/MWh is the highest. On total price Vantaa is only the third cheapest. That is why cities should be compared on total price, with both the energy charge and the capacity charge included.

Some companies also use seasonal pricing, where energy is more expensive in winter and cheaper in summer. The table figures describe the full-year level for the typical building. The capacity behind the capacity charge is not set in stone: a housing company can typically ask the energy company to review it if it has been sized above actual need.

Why prices differ so much

The biggest single reason for the price differences is how the heat is produced. District heat in Finland is produced from biomass, natural gas, industrial and wastewater waste heat, heat pumps and electric boilers, among others. Large plants burning fossil fuels or peat also pay for emission allowances, which shows in the price. After Russia's war of aggression began in 2022, natural gas became more expensive and wood fuel prices rose as wood imports from Russia stopped.

The second factor is the size and age of the network. In small networks fixed costs are spread over fewer customers, which can raise the unit price. This is why many of the most expensive localities are small municipalities or outlying areas rather than large cities. Small networks are also found at the cheapest end of the comparison, as Haapajärvi shows, so network size alone does not decide the price.

The third factor is ownership and investment. Companies that have already invested in heat pumps, heat storage and electric boilers have been able to take advantage of cheap electricity hours and keep prices more moderate. The timing of these investments partly explains why prices differ even within the Helsinki metropolitan area. The reasoning behind an individual company's choices is best found in its own announcements.

How the price of district heating has developed

The price of district heating in Finland has risen clearly in the 2020s. According to Finnish Energy's statistics, the heating bill of a terraced house or small apartment block home averaged about 904 euros a year in summer 2022. By early 2025 it had risen to about 1,134 euros, an increase of about 230 euros, or just over a quarter, in just over two years. (Yle, Finnish Energy statistics)

The rise has been driven above all by more expensive fuels and emission allowances since 2022. For some companies the price has already levelled off or started to fall as electricity-based production has replaced expensive fuels. During 2026 prices in the large cities have stayed stable: in six of the ten largest cities the price on 1 July 2026 was exactly the same as at the start of the year. In the others the change was at most about one percent.

Over the longer term, however, there are large differences between companies: some companies' prices have risen sharply while others have stayed almost unchanged. Up-to-date price charts and the full statistics are on Finnish Energy's website.

What a housing company can do about the price of district heating

The honest answer is that a housing company cannot influence the price itself. District heating is a local monopoly, which means you cannot choose another heat seller on the same network or put the price out to tender. The cost, however, can be influenced. Practical measures include reviewing the contracted capacity if it has been sized above need, reducing heat consumption and improving how the heating system is adjusted and controlled. For some housing companies an alternative heat source alongside district heating is also an option.

Voltria offers properties heating optimisation as a service. Intelligence makes district heating use more efficient and Hybrid adds an alternative heat source alongside district heating. Payment is based on the savings achieved and includes a savings guarantee. The property makes no investment and takes no loan: Voltria owns and maintains the equipment, and it is a continuous service rather than a one-off renovation. Read more in Heating optimisation for housing companies without investment and on the Our services page.

Frequently asked questions

Which city has the most expensive district heating in 2026?

Of Finland's ten largest cities, district heating is most expensive in Lahti, where the total price is 117.7 €/MWh, or about 70,614 euros a year for the typical apartment block. The most expensive in the whole comparison is Kristinestad at 174.7 €/MWh. The cheapest is Haapajärvi at 57.1 €/MWh. The cheapest of the ten largest cities is Oulu at 86.3 €/MWh.

Can you put district heating out to tender?

No. A district heating network is a local monopoly, so you cannot choose a different seller on the same network. A housing company can influence the total bill by reducing consumption and reviewing its contracted capacity, but not the price itself.

What is the district heating capacity charge?

The capacity charge, or basic charge, is a fixed monthly charge set by the building's heating capacity rather than the month's consumption. It is paid regardless of how much heat is used during the month. The capacity charge can be a large part of the bill, so cities should be compared on total price rather than the energy charge alone.

How often do district heating prices change?

Finnish Energy collects typical-building prices twice a year, as of 1 January and 1 July. Energy companies typically update their price lists at these points, so the price can change twice during the year.

Why is the price of district heating rising?

The most common reasons are rising fuel prices, the price of emission allowances and production and network investments. From 2022 onwards, more expensive natural gas and wood fuels in particular pushed up many companies' prices.

Want to know what could be done about your housing company's heating costs?

You cannot influence the price of district heating, but you can influence the cost. Voltria's savings calculator quickly shows how large your housing company's heating cost is and what could be done about it. If you want to go through it in more detail, book a meeting.