In this context, heThe Swiss who heat their houses to more than 19 degrees this winterviolating government directives in case of gas shortage, could face fines and jail terms of up to three yearsSwiss economic department spokesman Markus Spörndli told the Blick newspaper on Tuesday.
The measure will only apply if the country is forced to ration gas due to the war between Russia and Ukraine. And it would not be the only restrictive measure: hot water can only be heated to 60 degrees, radiant heaters would be banned or hot air tents. Saunas and swimming pools would also have to remain cold. This is established by the Federal Law of National Economic Supplyto which the Department of Economic Affairs (EAER) explicitly refers in an official document, although it is still a draft ordinance.
While there won’t be a widespread hunt for “energy criminals” and the police won’t be going house to house, there may be “selective controls”local authorities said. But the controls -the local media warn- are not impossible: for example, if an angry neighbor or an overly jealous neighborhood police officer denounces you.
“Violations of the national supply law are always offenses or even crimes in various cases and must be punished by the cantons,” Spörndli was quoted as saying by the Swiss daily Blick. In the meantime, those who unintentionally violate this rule will also be punished, but with smaller fines. “The draft decree is based on the fact that the majority of the population complies with the laws,” he added, according to RTenespañol.
Switzerland depends on imports
In the European comparison, Switzerland is among the countries with the lowest degree of energy self-sufficiency. Internal electricity generation only accounts for around 25% of energy needs. The remaining 75% is imported in the form of crude oil, petroleum products, gas and coal.
Switzerland has no exploitable gas fields and is totally dependent on imports. Gas represents about 15% of national energy consumption (in the European Union it is 22%) and about half comes from Russia.
Natural gas is mainly used for heat production and during the winter it heats around one in five Swiss homes.
In this context, it is also expected that Swiss consumers see energy bills rise by around 27% in 2023, with wide oscillations according to the municipality.
Source: Ambito
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