Possible power outages caused by power shortage
It is possible that there will be a power shortage in Finland from time to time in the winter of 2022–23. Read this article about what electricity shortages and power outages mean in practice.
Electricity shortage refers to a situation where the electricity in use (domestic production and imported electricity) is no longer sufficient to cover consumption. As a result of the situation, regional power cuts have to be made so that the national power system does not collapse.
Power outages targeting consumers are a last resort, but it is good to be prepared for them.
Why might the electricity be cut off?
An electricity shortage occurs if electricity production is not enough to cover electricity consumption. Outages can prevent the collapse of the entire national electricity system.
When are the outages and how long do they last?
Power outages are most likely to occur at high consumption peaks, i.e. in the morning (8am–10am) and in the afternoon/early evening (5pm–7pm).
Power outages last a maximum of two hours at a time, but they may have to be rotated so that there may be more than one outage on the same day. Power outages do not apply to critical sites (e.g. healthcare).
Which areas are affected by the outages?
The local electricity network company (Helen in Helsinki, Vantaan Energia in Vantaa, Caruna in Espoo) makes the decisions about which areas within the city are affected by the outage.
Are outages notified in advance?
In general, the aim is to ensure that power cuts do not start unexpectedly. If the risk of an electricity shortage is known, it is widely reported and communicated. If you have your own electricity contract, check that your phone number and other contact information are up-to-date in your electricity company’s information so that information about outages is received.
We will also inform our tenants about outages if we receive the information early enough. Email is used as the main notification channel. In any case, we recommend everyone to follow the general news as well as the communications of the electricity network company in their area.
What can be done to prevent outages?
When we all use electricity wisely and strive to reduce the amount of electricity we use, electricity production is always better able to meet the electricity demand. Especially during the morning and evening consumption peaks, it is good to keep your own electricity consumption to a minimum.
You can find more information about the electricity shortage, for example, at fingrid.fi/en/grid/information-regarding-electricity-shortages/