Blog
Energy performance certificates, the E-value, energy classes and building energy efficiency in Finland.
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Replacing oil heating in 2026–2027 – what support is available and what to heat with instead?
The ELY grant for replacing oil heating is closed, but the increased household expenses credit (60 %, at most €3,500) is valid until the end of 2027.
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Building energy efficiency – what the energy class tells you and what it leaves out
Energy efficiency is more than the energy class: actual consumption, maintenance and running costs, and emissions. And when are improvements worth making?
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Energy carrier factors 2027 – what the new factors change and what they don't
New factors 2027: electricity 0.90 and district heating 0.38 for zero-emission buildings. What changes for new builds, renovations and energy certificates?
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Ground source heat grants 2026 – what support do detached houses and housing companies really get?
Ground source heat grants in 2026: detached houses get the household expenses credit, housing companies Varke's grant only when leaving oil or gas.
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Energy report for a renovation – when does a renovation need one, and what does the law really require?
Replacing windows, the facade or the heating? When a renovation brings energy requirements: only the parts you renovate must improve, not the whole house.
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Is an old energy certificate still valid? The 2007, 2013 and 2018 certificates compared
Found an old energy certificate in a drawer? How to check whether it is still valid, what the years 2007, 2013 and 2018 mean, and when to order a new one.
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Housing company energy renovation – a board's guide to the stages, decisions and financing
A housing company energy renovation for the board: the stages, who decides and by what majority, costs and savings, and how Varke's grant fits in.
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Energy grants for a detached house in 2026 – what support can you actually get?
No state energy grant for detached houses in 2026 – but the household expenses credit rose to 40 % and €2,100. See euro examples and what renovation pays off.
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Energy grant 2026–2027 – Varke's new grant for housing company energy renovations
Varke's energy grant 2026–2027: a housing company can get up to €4,000 per apartment for an energy renovation. Who is eligible, and how to apply?
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Energy renovation of an electrically heated house – how to cut your electricity bill for good
Direct electric heating, no water circulation? Which renovations suit, what a heat pump and thermostats save in euros, and what support you get in 2026.
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Energy renovation – what pays off, what does it cost and where to start?
Which energy renovation pays off, and in what order? Prices, savings, payback times and the 2026 subsidies for detached houses and housing companies.
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How is a house's energy class calculated? The energy certificate calculation in plain language
Why did your house get an E when the bills are low? How the energy class is calculated: standardised use, heating method, factors and old-house defaults.
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Energy certificate register: how to check whether a building has an energy certificate
Search by address, property ID or housing company name. How to read the result – and why a detached house's certificate does not show in the public search.
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Energy certificate – what is it, when is it mandatory and what does the law require?
What is an energy certificate, when is it needed and what does the law require? Clear answers for sellers, landlords and housing companies.
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Which buildings need an energy certificate? Building types and exemptions in plain language
Does a detached house, summer cottage or garage need an energy certificate? See the building-type table and the 2025 exemption list – answer in a minute.
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Energy report for a building permit – a plain-language guide for detached house builders
An energy report is needed for your building permit – what now? A plain-language guide for home builders: timeline, contents, checklist and price.
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A high-quality energy performance certificate
What makes a good energy certificate, why it matters to buyers and banks, common flaws such as table values, and how we prepare certificates.
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E-value calculation examples
Simplified E-value calculation examples for an office, a detached house and a block of flats, with energy carrier factors and energy class tables.
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Energy classes of apartments
An apartment's energy class is always that of its residential building. Energy class tables with E-value limits for houses, terraced houses and flats.
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Energy design
Energy design for housing companies: energy efficiency studies that find the most cost-effective savings, from heat pumps to solar panels and windows.
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How to ensure a good E-value?
What counts as a good E-value depends on the building's intended-use category. A-class limits by building type and ways to improve the E-value.
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Energy certificate assessor
Who may prepare an energy performance certificate in Finland: the basic and advanced assessor qualifications, their requirements and when you need one.
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Energy certificate – educational buildings and day care centres
When schools and day care centres need an energy certificate or energy report, the E-value limit of 100 for new buildings, and energy classes A–G.
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Emission factors of energy carriers
Finland's emission factors for energy carriers used in climate reports from 2025, and the energy carrier factors of 2018 and 2013 used for the E-value.
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E-value limits and the E-value table
Maximum E-values allowed for new buildings in Finland by building category, with formulas for small houses and the permitted relaxations.
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Climate report – Updated situation 2026
The climate report (ilmastoselvitys): which new buildings need one, and how the carbon footprint and carbon handprint over the life cycle are calculated.
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Cooling your home
How to keep your home cool in summer: blinds, curtains and night ventilation you can do yourself, plus portable coolers and air-source heat pumps.
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Energy performance certificate for a post-war veterans' house
Energy certificate for a Finnish post-war veterans' house (rintamamiestalo): when it is needed, how the energy class is set and what affects the E-value.
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The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and its impact on residential buildings and housing companies 2026–2035
What the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) may mean for Finnish homeowners and housing companies in 2026–2035, and how to prepare.
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Air-to-water heat pump – everything you need to know
How an air-to-water heat pump works, what COP and SCOP mean, what drives its electricity use and price, and what problems severe frost can cause.
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E-value
What the E-value (E-luku) is, how it is calculated, the limits for new buildings, the 2018 energy carrier factors and how energy class affects costs.
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Energy saving
How much can a better energy class save? Example calculations for a detached house and a block of flats, plus everyday tips for saving energy at home.
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Energy report
The energy report (energiaselvitys) for building permits and major renovations: prices, contents, E-value, summer temperatures and heat loss balancing.
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Energy certificate for a block of flats
Energy certificate for a block of flats: when it is required, price from 500 euros, energy classes for apartment buildings and the savings potential.
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Energy certificate for a detached house
What Finnish law requires of a detached house energy certificate: when you need one, E-value, energy report for new builds and energy class limits.
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Energy certificate for a terraced house
When a terraced house needs an energy certificate, who is responsible for it, the energy classes for terraced houses and what you need to sell a home.
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Reducing carbon dioxide emissions
Buildings cause 30% of emissions from final energy use in Finland. How energy efficiency and low-emission heating such as heat pumps cut CO2 emissions.
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Who pays for the energy certificate?
Who pays for an energy certificate in a housing company or a detached house, when a certificate is needed, which buildings are exempt, and what it shows.
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Building energy classes
What energy classes A–G and the marking E2018 mean, with the energy class tables for detached houses, terraced houses, blocks of flats and other buildings.
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Energy consumption and cost of a shower in a block of flats
A shower uses about 16 kWh per hour. What a shower costs in a district-heated block of flats in summer and winter, and how the energy use is calculated.