During the winter, Finland may face power outages due to electricity shortages caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the European energy crisis. To avoid power outages, everyone in Finland should save energy, but preparing for outages is also recommended.
The potential power outages would be local and last a few hours at a time. The power outages will be announced ahead of time whenever possible so that people can prepare for them.
Follow the news and stay calm
The authorities and electricity companies will endeavour to announce expected power outages ahead of time.
Helen has a text message service that the company’s customers can subscribe to in order to be informed of outages. You can access the service by entering your own phone number on Helen's website.
In the event of a power outage, remain calm and wait for the outage to end.
Do not call the emergency number just to ask what has happened and how long the outage will last. Avoid making unnecessary phone calls during a power outage to ensure that the telephone networks remain uncongested and emergency calls can get through quickly.
More information on how power outages will be announced is available on the energia.fi website (in Finnish).
What happens during a power outage?
Electrical devices and the internet
During power outages, the electrical devices and lighting in apartments will not work.
Food stored in refrigerators or freezers will not spoil during a power outage lasting only a few hours. That being said, you should avoid opening your refrigerator and freezer unnecessarily during a power outage.
When a power outage starts, turn off any electrical devices that may have been on, such as your stove and oven, so that they do not pose a fire hazard after the power is restored.
The internet and mobile phones may not function correctly during power outages, as household Wi-Fi equipment and any base stations in apartment buildings will fall silent.
Heating and ventilation
Heating will not work during power outages, but the indoor temperature of apartments will not significantly decrease in just a few hours.
A power outage lasting only a couple of hours will not have a significant impact on indoor air quality, but it is nevertheless important to ensure that ventilation systems start running again after the outage. If you notice a problem with the ventilation system after a power outage, please submit a defect notification.
Lifts
Do not use lifts if a power outage is imminent. Lifts will not function during a power outage.
Water supply and drains
Avoid running your water during a power outage.
In the Helsinki region, the water supply system will usually remain operational during short power outages. Although water will not be cut off, it may run at a lower pressure.
Power outages have no impact on the quality of tap water. In other words, tap water is safe to drink even during a power outage.
However, you should exercise caution when running water during or after a power outage, as the water temperature may fluctuate during an outage, meaning that the water may be exceptionally hot, for example.
In the event of a power outage, drains will not be fully functional. Because of this, you should avoid using drains and, by extension, showering, flushing the toilet, bathing and washing the dishes or laundry during a power outage.
For more information on how power outages affect water usage, please visit HSY's website.
Maintain a stock of emergency supplies at home for longer power outages
To prepare for power outages lasting longer than a few hours, you should maintain a stock of emergency supplies at home. For instructions on how to prepare for longer power outages, please visit the 72hours.fi website.
Power outages can be prevented by saving energy
We can all reduce the risk of power outages by saving energy.
To prevent power outages, energy consumption should be avoided particularly during peak hours, meaning weekdays at 8:00–10:00, 16:00–17:00 and 19:00–20:00. Timing energy consumption outside of these peak hours reduces the risk of power outages.
The situation can be eased with all kinds of energy saving measures. Good tips on how to save energy are available on the website of the nationwide Down a Degree campaign.