Tag Archives: Editor’s Choice

As the prices of the fossil fuels used to produce electricity rise so must the price of electricity. According to the Association of Swiss Electricity Companies (AES), record market prices mean that a majority of electrical supply companies will have to charge their customers higher prices in 2023. © Valery Shanin | Dreamstime.comA survey run by the Association at the beginning of May 2022 found that half of electricity supply companies in Switzerland plan to increase electricity prices...

Switzerland has the world’s fourth most expensive childcare according to UNICEF. The federal government is working on a package of financial subsidies costing CHF 530 million a year to reduce the cost to parents, reported RTS. Photo by Ksenia Chernaya on Pexels.comA 2021 UNCEF study of childcare in rich nations ranks Switzerland as having the fourth most unaffordable childcare, a measure that considers the cost relative to income. The only places with more unaffordable childcare are...

© Debove Eric | Dreamstime.com Food, energy and housing costs are rising in Switzerland and consumers are beginning to change their spending habits. So far inflation in Switzerland has been moderate with annual inflation of 2.5%. However, according to FRC, a consumer association in French-speaking Switzerland, recent price rises are only the beginning, reported RTS. The biggest driver of Swiss inflation is energy where prices have leapt 25%. This appears to be...

According to the price comparison website Comparis.ch obligatory Swiss health insurance premiums are set to rise by an average of 5% in 2023, in some cases as much as 10%. Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.comKey drivers of the rise are the impact of the pandemic and pressure by the federal government on insurance companies to refund reserves to policy holders, said Felix Schneuwly, a health insurance expert at the company. Before the refunds a number of insurance companies had...

As part of a revision of the rules related to foreigners in Switzerland the federal government has concluded discussions around cutting welfare entitlements for nationals from much of the world, reported the newspaper Le Matin. © Photosbypanda | Dreamstime.comDiscussions on restricting the welfare paid to some foreigners, which have been going on for some time, concluded on 3 May 2022. The resulting plan aims to cut the amounts of welfare paid in the first three years of residence. It...

Swisscom’s telephone network went down on Tuesday for 30 minutes, reported RTS. On Tuesday 3 May 2022 between 22:23 and 22:53 customers across Switzerland using Swisscom’s fixed and mobile networks were unable to access the internet. According to Swisscom, the outage was related to maintenance work. Much to the frustration of football fans the outage occurred during the semi-final of the champions league football match between Villarreal and Liverpool. More on this:RTS...

Food, energy and housing costs are rising in Switzerland and consumers are beginning to change their spending habits. So far inflation in Switzerland has been moderate with annual inflation of 2.5%. However, according to FRC, a consumer association in French-speaking Switzerland, recent price rises are only the beginning, reported RTS. © Debove Eric | Dreamstime.comThe biggest driver of Swiss inflation is energy where prices have leapt 25%. This appears to be affecting consumer behaviour....

A survey published on 2 May 2022 shows a marked weakening of consumer sentiment in April in Switzerland. Consumers’ outlook for the general economic situation has turned far more pessimistic, said Switzerland’s State Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO). © Marlon Trottmann | Dreamstime.comIn April 2022, the consumer sentiment index plunged to -27, well below the long-term average of −5, marking the biggest decline since the onset of the pandemic in the spring of 2020. Swiss...

As the prices of fossil fuels skyrocket and further supply and price uncertainty looms, many are seeking ways to cut the amount they spend on home energy. A publication by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) shows where savings can be made. Photo by Eva Penner Martens on Pexels.comRecent rises in the prices of fossil fuels highlight the paradox at the heart of efforts to reduce climate change. As environmentalists we want the world to burn less wood, coal, gas...

Statistics published on 26 April 2022 show health expenditure in Switzerland rose to CHF 9,648 (US$ 10,8001) per person in 2020, making Switzerland (probably) the second biggest per-capita healthcare spender in the world – the OECD has not yet published 2020 expenditure for the US, which is typically the world’s highest spender. Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.comHealthcare spending rose 1% in 2020 compared to 2019, according to Switzerland’s Federal Statistical...