A few questions

[FinlandGirl]

1. how does electricity work in Finland? Is there one provider that I contact when I get an apartment?

There are some, and you have to make a contract with one of them.

Will I be able to find an English speaker?

Electricity contract can be done online in English.

And how much does it usually cost someone in a studio apartment, no bigger than 35m2?

Around 25 Euro per month.

2. how does heating work? do I pay a separate company?

It is usually included in the rent.

3. for water, is that usually included in the rent? I've read of some instances where it is and some where it isn't?

Part of the rent payment is usually an additional water fee, around 25 Euro per person living in the apartment.

[inkku]

As Finlandgirl says. In pari=ticular when talking about private market in cities.

for a studio about 30-35m2, private market:
electricity can be well less than 25euros pm, go down to e10 pm, depends on your usage of oven, TV, washing machine etc etc. that in Helsinki, the prices might be different (higher) in the countryside.
there are several providers, you can compare per price or value based (reneweable energy).
http://sahkonhinta.fi/#

heating:
in flats, municipal heating is usually included. however, in a terraced house for instance, if the heating is not linked to the municipal heating network, it works with electricity and can be pretty expensive.

water:
normal system in the private market is charging per person, it is paid in connection with the rent. however, there is a trend to put water meters into new flats but not yet common.

In student residences sometimes both electricity and water are included. as well as internet..... so depends.
But compared to some other countries such as the UK, those expenses are not too high in Finland.

[betelgeuse]

In student residences sometimes both electricity and water are included. as well as internet..... so depends.
But compared to some other countries such as the UK, those expenses are not too high in Finland.

Many utilities are actually cheaper in UK than in Finland. Of course it depends where you live.

[inkku]

In student residences sometimes both electricity and water are included. as well as internet..... so depends.
But compared to some other countries such as the UK, those expenses are not too high in Finland.

Many utilities are actually cheaper in UK than in Finland. Of course it depends where you live.

Such as...? I cannot think anything that is cheaper.

[betelgeuse]

In student residences sometimes both electricity and water are included. as well as internet..... so depends.
But compared to some other countries such as the UK, those expenses are not too high in Finland.

Many utilities are actually cheaper in UK than in Finland. Of course it depends where you live.

Such as...? I cannot think anything that is cheaper.

We paid less for, for example, water and heating in the UK than in Finland though I should have rephrased my comment to be more clear that it was about individual circumstances than a stance on averages (for which I don't have much idea for UK).