Helen will renew its district heating products and clarify pricing
We will renew our district heating products for our consumer, housing company, and corporate customers, and simplify the pricing bases, price periods, and publication dates of prices. The aim of the renewal is to better respond to the changing needs of our customers, as well as to increase the transparency and consistency of the pricing of district heat. The changes will take effect from the beginning of 2024.
The renewal aims to clarify the pricing of district heating and support our customers’ energy-efficient heating consumption. When the changes take effect at the beginning of 2024, the total price of district heating will decrease or remain unchanged for approximately 65% of our customers. We also want to provide our customers with a longer-term view of prices by transitioning from pricing based on four price periods to monthly prices that are updated twice a year, in January and July.
“It is important for us to develop district heating together with our customers and ensure that district heating is an attractive and competitive option for our customers now and in the future. We also want to provide our customers with better opportunities to influence their heating bills by saving energy,” says Anu-Elina Hintsa, Senior Vice President of Sales and Customer Service at Helen.
Going forward, the total price of district heating will consist of a basic price and an energy price. The basic price is determined on the basis of the annually reviewed input capacity, and it remains fixed for one year at a time. The basic price 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 price varies monthly and is based on the heat energy consumed and its price. The more a property is heated and the more hot tap water is used, the greater the consumption of heating energy. The monthly energy prices for January–June 2024 and the price forecast for July–December will be announced in November 2023.
A reliable and climate-friendly alternative
Helen’s district heating is a reliable heating solution that suits properties located within the district heating network in Helsinki. District heat is produced on a decentralised basis from various sources depending on where production is the most energy-efficient and cost-efficient. District heating is a critical service with regard to the security of supply in society. It enables the large-scale utilisation of waste heat and other carbon-neutral solutions. The transition to a sustainable energy system requires a new kind of flexibility from the production, consumption, and pricing of district heating.
Helen’s district heat production will be carbon-neutral by 2030. Our carbon-neutral production is currently based on the Vuosaari bioenergy heating plant, which uses wood chips obtained as a by-product of forestry, for example, and the Katri Vala heat pump plant, which utilises the excess heat in waste water. We are in the process of increasing our carbon-neutral heat production capacity by building new plants in Helsinki’s Salmisaari and Eiranranta districts.