The Consumer Ombudsman is taking two power firms to the Market Court over price rises.
Helen and Vassan Sähkö are being asked to account for the price rises they brought in last autumn, in a case expected to provide a precedent on the size of permitted price rises, and the ways they can be justified.
The ombudsman says the two firms' behaviour did not differ markedly from their competitors, but the case is being brought to establish the rules of the game when power firms want to increase their prices.
As Europe disconnected from Russian energy in 2022, there was uncertainty in the power market and some Finnish firms increased prices by several hundred percent for customers not on fixed price deals.
"Last autumn's price rises were in many cases unreasonable for the consumer," said ombudsman Katri Väänänen in a press statement. "As this is an essential service, we need clearer rules of the game for price rises, and that's why we are seeking a ruling from the Market Court."
There has not been a previous case brought over how much the price can rise in one go, for customers on contracts valid until further notice, without there being a significant change to their conditions.
