Sauna and the electricity estimate

When a facility has a heater power configured (e.g. a sauna), VAREK estimates the electricity consumption and cost using the spot price for electricity (Nord Pool FI). Cost estimates are shown to administrative roles (board, property manager, accountant, consultant) — shareholders and tenants don’t see euro figures, so an estimate is never mistaken for a charge. The estimates are based on the heater’s nameplate power, the configured duty cycle and the spot price of electricity.

Note

The electricity estimate only appears when a heater power has been set for the facility. That setting is made by the board — see Managing facilities.

The estimate for a single booking

When you pick a time for the sauna in the booking dialog, the dialog shows an Arvioitu sähkökustannus (Estimated electricity cost) row: the estimated consumption (kWh) and cost (€). If the sauna has prewarming configured, the prewarming electricity is included in the booking, marked sis. esilämmityksen (prewarming included).

Tip

Prewarming is only counted for the first booking in a chain of back-to-back bookings. If you book right after someone else’s booking, the sauna is already warm and prewarming isn’t counted again for your booking.

The estimate card

Below the facility’s calendar there is a Sähköarvio (Electricity estimate) card that sums consumption and cost over two periods:

• Kuluva kuukausi (Current month) — the estimated consumption and cost of this month’s bookings.
• Viim. 12 kk (Last 12 months) — the estimated consumption and cost over the past 12 months.

The card also shows the spot nyt (spot now) price (snt/kWh) as a reference.

Notes on pricing:

• A ~ marker means part of the period was priced at the spot average, because an exact price wasn’t available for every hour.
• If price data isn’t currently available, the card shows the consumption estimate only.
• VAREK stores realised daily spot averages every day, so past periods are priced with increasing accuracy from real daily prices instead of an average. History accumulates automatically — nothing needs to be done.

Caution

This is always an estimate. The actual consumption and cost may differ — the estimate is based on the heater’s nameplate power, the configured duty cycle and spot prices (incl. VAT).

Cheapest hours

Below the estimate card there is an Edullisimmat tunnit (Cheapest hours) card: up to three of the cheapest free booking windows within the published spot-price horizon (today, and tomorrow once the next day’s prices are published around 14:15). Suggestions respect the facility’s opening hours, existing bookings, blackout periods and booking rules — your own booking limits (e.g. a weekly maximum) are checked as usual when you confirm.

Picking a suggestion opens the booking form pre-filled; the booking is only created when you confirm it normally. Each row shows the window’s average spot price (snt/kWh) and the estimated total cost (€) — prewarming is included when the sauna isn’t already warm from a preceding booking.

Shareholders and tenants see the same card, but without the price figures: they get the suggested time windows alone, with a note explaining that picking a cheap hour lowers the whole building’s shared electricity bill — it does not affect the price of the booking. The snt/kWh and € figures are shown only to the board, property management and the accountant, like every other cost figure.

Tip

Using the sauna during the cheapest hours lowers the housing company’s electricity bill — the card makes finding the cheapest slot a one-tap task.

Most popular times

Below the estimate card there is a Suosituimmat ajat (Most popular times) chart: the hours booked over the last 90 days by hour of day, split into weekday and weekend use. The chart helps you see when the facility is usually free.

See also

• Booking a facility
• Managing facilities (board)
• Bookings — overview