Switzerland exceeded its voluntary gas savings target this winter. Compared to average consumption between 2017 and 2022, the target was to reduce gas consumption by 15%. However, according to provisional government figures, it was 23% less.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA
The target was 3,997 gigawatt hours (GWh) of gas savings, regardless of the weather, over the winter half-year, i.e. from the beginning of October 2023 to the end of March 2024. According to the Swiss Federal Office of Energy’s (SFOE) dashboard, 6,102 GWh have now been saved, although the figures for March are only estimates.
January, which was 1.5°C warmer than the standard temperature, was the only one of the six autumn and winter months below the savings target in terms of consumption. In November 2023, however – 0.6°C warmer than average – the target was achieved. The target was met throughout the winter even when the above-average temperatures are factored out.
According to the energy dashboard, the price of gas for end users fell over the course of the winter and was also lower than the previous winter. Even in November 2023, gas cost significantly more for end consumers than in January 2024.
More
More
Will Switzerland face an energy crunch this winter?
This content was published on
Last winter, people in Switzerland were in fear of not having enough gas to heat their homes.
The situation this winter should be better, say experts.
In Switzerland, around three-quarters of annual gas consumption is used for heating in the winter months. The savings target of 15% should therefore be achieved through voluntary measures in households, industry, services, and administration.
The target was also clearly exceeded last winter when a total of 5,819 GWh or around 22% less gas was consumed. Switzerland had signed up to the EU’s gas savings target to help prevent bottlenecks in the energy supply.
Adapted from German by DeepL/kp
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Popular Stories
More
Climate change
Switzerland turns train tracks into solar power plants
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
Living longer: What do you think about the longevity trend?
The longevity market is booming thanks in part to advances in the science of ageing. What do you think of the idea of significantly extending human lifespan?
SWISS cancels flight to Tel Aviv following missile attack near Ben Gurion airport
This content was published on
After a missile landed near Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport, Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) cancelled its flight from Zurich to Tel Aviv on Sunday.
Swiss foreign minister rejects mandatory referendum for EU deals
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis defended the government’s decision to make EU deals subject to an optional rather than a mandatory referendum.
Pro-choice and anti-abortion activists face off in Geneva
This content was published on
Anti-abortion Christian groups held a silent prayer in front of the Geneva train station on Saturday, to the whistles and shouts of pro-choice demonstrators.
Swiss army soldier seriously injured in accident on Simplon Pass
This content was published on
A member of the Swiss army was seriously injured on Friday while manoeuvring a self-propelled howitzer on the Simplon Pass.
Basel attempts world‘s largest over-60s disco before Eurovision Song Contest
This content was published on
It was billed as a world record attempt for the biggest over-60s disco of all time. But most visitors came to Basel to have fun.
Basel prepares 700 volunteers for the Eurovision Song Contest
This content was published on
Around 320 people took part in one of the two official information events for the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Basel on Friday.
More Swiss soldiers involved in accidents during training in Austria
This content was published on
The Swiss army has reported various accidents involving Swiss soldiers during the exercise “TRIAS 25” in Austria. Some have led to hospitalisations.
Swiss court rules vegan meat substitutes can’t use animal names
This content was published on
Vegan meat substitutes may not bear animal names such as “planted.chicken” according to a ruling by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.