Switzerland decides to cut energy consumption by 15% for the first time

The Swiss government, following the EU countries, decided to introduce a voluntary gas savings target of 15% for the winter, informs local publication Basler Zeitung, citing a government statement.

According to the document, Switzerland will use 15% less gas from October this year to March 2023 compared to the average consumption over the past five years. This decision is due to the fact that Switzerland is completely dependent on foreign gas supplies, so the lack of energy resources in Europe will directly affect the situation within the country and make it difficult to purchase gas from abroad.

In July, the Swiss government warned of the possibility of imposing a ban on energy consumption this winter for the first time in history when there is a shortage of gas or electricity. According to the plan, at the first stage, a voluntary reduction in electricity consumption by 15% is envisaged, but if this is not enough, enforcement measures are possible. In particular, the authorities will be able to ban the use of patio heaters or close sports and health centers, as well as introduce electricity consumption quotas for 30,000 large consumers, informed earlier newspaper. According to her, these measures would save up to 25-30% of gas. It is noted that private households will not be affected. Relevant tasks will be set for industry, power industry and business.

The toughest step, according to the publication, will be the ability to turn off electricity in some parts of the country for 4-8 hours a day, but now this option is considered the least likely and cannot be estimated.

The day before the Swiss Association of the Gas Industry (VSG) informed meeting its targets for gas reserves and call options ahead of this winter. It is specified that the association has formed a physical reserve in the amount of 15% (about 6 TWh) of Switzerland’s annual gas consumption (35 TWh) in the storage facilities of neighboring countries. In addition, Switzerland purchased from France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands about 20% (6 TWh) of the country’s winter consumption as additional options in case of emergency due to the high risk of electricity shortages.

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