SpotVahtiSpotVahti · updated 11 Nov 2026
In short
The margin is the seller’s mark-up on the spot price (c/kWh), and the monthly fee is a fixed charge (€/month). Across the 31 spot-price contracts in our comparison, the margin is 0.00–1.99 c/kWh (median 0.55) and the monthly fee 0.00–9.99 € (median 4.90). In an apartment (2,000 kWh) a one-cent difference in margin costs only 20 € a year, but a typical monthly fee costs 59 €. So with low consumption the monthly fee matters more, and with high consumption the margin does.
What the spot electricity price is made of
- The spot price changes every hour (now every quarter hour) on Nord Pool’s day-ahead market. It is the same with every seller.
- The margin (c/kWh) is the seller’s mark-up on every kilowatt-hour.
- The monthly fee (€/month) is paid regardless of consumption.
- VAT of 25.5 % is added to the spot price. No VAT is charged for hours with a negative price.
On top of this you pay transmission fees and electricity tax to your local network company. They don’t depend on the seller, so you can’t shop around for them.
Because the spot price is the same for everyone, spot-price contracts differ only in their margin, monthly fee and any intro offers.
Typical margins and monthly fees
| Lowest | Median | Highest | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin | 0.00 c/kWh | 0.55 c/kWh | 1.99 c/kWh |
| Monthly fee | 0.00 € | 4.90 € | 9.99 € |
Which matters?
The effect of the margin grows with consumption; the monthly fee does not. The table shows what one cent of margin and a typical monthly fee (4.90 €/month) cost per year.
| Annual consumption | 1 c/kWh of margin | Monthly fee 4.90 € |
|---|---|---|
| 2,000 kWh | 20 €/yr | 59 €/yr |
| 5,000 kWh | 50 €/yr | 59 €/yr |
| 10,000 kWh | 100 €/yr | 59 €/yr |
| 18,000 kWh | 180 €/yr | 59 €/yr |
Example: contract A has no monthly fee and a 0.60 c/kWh margin. Contract B costs 4.90 €/month with a 0.30 c/kWh margin. In an apartment (2,000 kWh) A costs 12 € and B 65 € a year. In a house with electric heating (18,000 kWh) A costs 108 € and B 113 €. The break-even point is about 19,600 kWh a year: below that, A is cheaper.
Cheapest spot-price contracts by home type
The comparison shows the same pattern: at low consumption the cheapest contract often has no monthly fee, at high consumption it is a low-margin contract.
| Home type | Cheapest spot contract | Margin | Monthly fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apartment 2,000 kWh/yr | Nordic Green Energy Pörssisähkö ei kuukausimaksua | 1.49 c/kWh | 0.00 € |
| Terraced house 5,000 kWh/yr | Herrfors Spot+ | 0.24 c/kWh | 3.04 € |
| Detached house, no electric heating 6,000 kWh/yr | Herrfors Spot+ | 0.24 c/kWh | 3.04 € |
| Detached house, ground-source heat pump 10,000 kWh/yr | Herrfors Spot+ | 0.24 c/kWh | 3.04 € |
| Detached house, direct electric heating 18,000 kWh/yr | Herrfors Spot+ | 0.24 c/kWh | 3.04 € |
Intro offers
12 of the 31 spot-price contracts in our comparison have an intro offer, such as a period with no monthly fee or a discounted margin for the first months. The offer looks good, but in the second year you pay the normal price. That is why we rank contracts by the average price over the first two years. If you plan to shop around again in a year, you can switch the ranking to the first year only.
See also: Fixed price or spot price?
Frequently asked questions
What is the margin on a spot-price electricity contract?
The margin is the seller’s mark-up on the hourly spot price, stated in cents per kilowatt-hour. If the spot price is 5.00 c/kWh and the margin 0.50 c/kWh, you pay 5.50 c/kWh for the energy. In our comparison the median margin is 0.55 c/kWh.
What is a good margin for spot-price electricity in Finland?
Based on the 31 contracts in our comparison, under 0.55 c/kWh is below average and under 0.30 c/kWh is clearly cheap. Don’t look at the margin alone: a contract with a low margin and a high monthly fee can cost more at low consumption than one with a higher margin and no monthly fee.
Which matters more, the margin or the monthly fee?
It depends on your consumption. For example, a contract with no monthly fee and a 0.60 c/kWh margin is cheaper than one with 4.90 €/month and 0.30 c/kWh up to an annual consumption of about 19,600 kWh. In most apartments, terraced houses and detached houses without electric heating, the monthly fee matters more.
Which contract is cheapest for you?
Calculate your annual price for every contract with your home type and consumption.
Read next
- Fixed price or spot price? Which was cheaper for different home types, and in how many months spot price has won since 2021.
- Heat pump and spot price What heating costs on a spot-price contract and how much you save by shifting it to cheap hours.
- Charging an EV on spot price What charging costs at night, in the evening and during the cheapest hours of the day.
- Saving electricity at peak hours Which appliances are worth moving to cheap hours and which are not: calculated savings per appliance with actual hourly prices.
- Switching electricity contract How to switch electricity contract in Finland: termination, fixed-term contracts and moving home.
Spot prices: Ember, European Wholesale Electricity Price Data (CC-BY 4.0), original source Nord Pool. Prices include 25.5 % VAT, but not transmission fees or electricity tax. Method: How we compare. Spotted a mistake? [email protected]