Helen’s clean transition is progressing – the price of district heating continues to fall

Helen’s transition towards carbon-neutral forms of production is progressing, which means both cleaner and cheaper energy production. This includes, among other things, the use of renewable biomass and various types of waste heat and environmental heat, as well as the deployment of electric boilers and heat pumps. Helen's target is to make its energy production carbon-neutral by 2030 and to phase out combustion-based energy production by 2040.

"The energy transition is increasingly turning in our favour, which makes it possible for us to continue to lower the price of district heating. This enhances the competitiveness of district heating as a heating solution for homes and other properties in Helsinki. Our clean transition is moving forward purposefully: we have more than 850 MW of investments in the pipeline, including electric boiler and heat pump projects that are among the largest in the world. These investments will enable us to phase out coal already at the end of this heating season, in spring 2025," says Timo Aaltonen, SVP, Heating and Cooling at Helen.

Helen will also complement its offering by introducing Optimilämpö, a new district heating product that suits residential buildings consisting of multiple apartments. As the name suggests, it includes the optimisation of heating by reducing the excessive heating of the property, for example. Optimilämpö is also the most affordable district heating product offered by Helen. Its tax-free energy price is €1/MWh lower than that of the Monthly Heating Property product. The total heating savings for the property will be 4–5 per cent in favour of Optimilämpö, and the customer can start using the product without having to make any initial investment. The product will be launched at the beginning of 2025.

"Optimilämpö suits customers who want to be flexible with their consumption and whose heat distribution system is compatible with the product. We estimate that the product is suitable for approximately 80 per cent of apartment buildings in Helsinki, and it will only take a couple of hours of installation work to make it available to the customer. The individual residents of housing companies do not need to do anything to benefit from the product," Aaltonen notes.

District heating renewed

Since the beginning of 2024, the total price of district heating has consisted of the fixed fees and energy fees. The customer-specific fixed fee is determined on the basis of the annually reviewed usage power, and it remains fixed for one year at a time. The fixed fee enables the uninterrupted delivery of heat and allows us to ensure that there is enough heat for everyone, even during the coldest periods.

The energy fee varies monthly and is based on the thermal energy consumed and its price. The more a property is heated and the more hot tap water is used, the greater the consumption of thermal energy. The price forecast for the energy fee for July–December 2025 will be confirmed and the price forecast for January–June 2026 will be published in May 2025.

*Applies to the energy prices of Monthly Heating Property and Monthly Heating Home products.