Higher energy costs for Swiss households
Published: Monday, Nov 6th 2023, 14:08
Mise à jour le : Mardi 7 novembre 2023, 00:54
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Swiss consumers have to pay more for energy. However, the picture is very mixed depending on the commodity and the region.
While market prices for electricity, for example, have calmed down considerably since the exceptional highs in summer 2022, the costs for households are continuing to rise. This is also due to the fact that the costs of electricity production and procurement reach household customers with a significant delay. This is because they are regulated by the state and are only adjusted once a year.
Following an increase of a full 27% at the start of 2023, electricity prices for end customers will rise by a further 18% at the start of the new year. However, there are significant regional differences. Some suppliers, such as BKW, supply their customers from their own power plants and are therefore more or less unaffected by market fluctuations.
Still significantly more expensive than before the energy crisis
The Swiss are still paying significantly more for heating with gas than before the rapid increase. For example, Energie 360 Grad, the large Zurich supplier, has been charging 12.2 centimes per kilowatt hour for its standard product since October.
Although this is again significantly less than the high of 18.2 centimes per kilowatt hour in October 2022, a normal heating customer with an apartment building was paying just 7.0 centimes per kilowatt hour for the standard product until September 2021 and 11.7 centimes in February 2022 - before the start of the war in Ukraine.
The price of heating oil is similar to that of gas. Unlike gas, however, the heating oil tank is usually only filled once a year, often in the fall. According to "Heizoel24.ch", a homeowner with an oil heating system currently pays around CHF 120 per 100 liters for a standard order volume.
In February 2022 - following the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops - the price was at times almost CHF 200 per 100 liters. From November 2022, the price then fell back to around CHF 100, but not back to the previous low levels. In summer 2021, prices were well below CHF 90, and in summer 2020 they were even below CHF 70. And prices have risen again since May 2023.
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