Power prices for homes surged in 2009
Electricity prices in Switzerland have risen sharply since the partial liberalisation of the market on January 1, 2009, the price watchdog said on Monday.
Prices increased 2.8 to 12.5 per cent between 2008 and 2009, depending on the category. Hardest hit were homes with electric furnaces.
Monthly bills had dropped in the year pre-liberalisation years of 2004-2008. That trend has now stopped.
A five-room flat with an electric stove and dryer saw rates increase 1.6 per cent annually between 2004 and 2009. The price for a five-room detached house with electric heating rose 9.3 per cent over the same period.
Prices spiked last year when electricity prices for a five-bedroom house increased 12.5 per cent, 8.2 per cent for a two-room flat and 9.2 per cent for a four-room apartment. Farmers paid 5.9 per cent more.
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