The spot contract margin: the only difference between contracts
Every spot contract uses the same exchange price. Retailers differ in margin and monthly fee.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
On a spot contract the energy price is the exchange price plus a retailer margin in cents per kilowatt-hour, and the retailer also charges a monthly fee. Since the exchange price is the same for everyone, margin and monthly fee are in practice the only price differences between spot contracts. The 5 consumer spot contracts shown in the <a href="https://www.sahkonhinta.fi/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Energy Authority’s price comparison</a> on 15 October 2026 had margins of 0.47 c/kWh–0.60 c/kWh and monthly fees of €2.53–€6.00 including VAT. The medians were 0.51 c/kWh and €4.78, which this site’s calculators use as defaults. For a house using 5,000 kilowatt-hours a year, the median margin and fee cost €82.86 a year. At the last year’s average spot price, the margin is about 7 % of the energy price. Work out below what the gap between two contracts costs on your own consumption.
What does a margin gap cost a year?
Difference per year
€20.00
| Current margin per year | €39.50 |
| Compared margin per year | €19.50 |
Remember the monthly fee gap too: €1 a month is €12 a year.
Spot contracts in the Energy Authority comparison
| Retailer | Product | Margin | Monthly fee | Per year, 5,000 kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lankosken Sähkö Oy | Pörssisähkö | 0.47 c/kWh | €4.78 | €80.86 |
| Hehku Energia Oy | Hehku Spot | 0.49 c/kWh | €4.90 | €83.30 |
| Keuruun Sähkö Oy | Spot sähkö | 0.51 c/kWh | €4.05 | €74.10 |
| Lankosken Sähkö Oy | Pörssisähkö | 0.59 c/kWh | €6.00 | €101.50 |
| Kokkolan Energia Oy | Surffari | 0.60 c/kWh | €2.53 | €60.36 |
The table is a sample of the products the comparison service showed, not a complete list of every contract on the market. Current offers for your postcode are in the Energy Authority’s comparison. We recommend no retailer and take no commission on contracts.
How to compare spot contracts
- Multiply the margin by your annual use and add twelve monthly fees. The lowest total is cheapest, since the spot price is the same for all.
- Check whether the contract is priced by quarter, by hour or by monthly average. That decides whether timing your use pays.
- Check the contract length, notice terms and whether the margin can change.
- Check any add-ons and their prices, such as guarantees of origin, which are not always separated from the margin.
The margin within the all-in price
Over the last twelve months the average spot price has been 7.07 c/kWh including VAT. The all-in price adds transfer and electricity tax, which are often larger than margin and fee combined. Shopping around on margin therefore usually saves tens of euros a year, while the right transfer product or timing your use can save more. Motiva explains the pros and cons of each contract type.
Spot or fixed
If you are weighing a fixed contract, compare its price with a spot contract’s total cost on your own consumption. The comparison calculator uses the last year’s actual prices to show which would have been cheaper and the fixed price at which both would have cost the same.
Example: three homes, two contracts
How much the margin matters depends on consumption. In a flat using 2,000 kWh a year a gap of a tenth of a cent in margin is only two euros a year, while a one-euro gap in monthly fee is twelve. A low-use home should look at the fee first. In a 5,000 kWh house the same margin gap is five euros; in an electrically heated 18,000 kWh house it is eighteen, so the margin starts to outweigh the fee. Enter two contracts’ margins and your use in the calculator above, then add the fee gap times twelve.
Other contract terms
Price is not the only difference. A contract may be open-ended or fixed-term, and leaving a fixed-term contract early can cost money. Some contracts are priced by quarter, some by hour and some by monthly average; if you plan to time your use, make sure yours is priced at least by the hour. Some cap a negative spot price at zero, and some bundle guarantees of origin into the margin. Switching retailer is free and the new retailer handles it, and consumer advice services help free of charge in disputes.
Compare offers regularly, since margins and fees move with the market.