According to Reuters article published on November 16, 2022, the Swiss government warned big gas consumers on Wednesday it could cut off their supplies in the event of a severe energy crunch that forced rationing.
The idea arose during consultations on how to handle worst-case scenarios, the cabinet said in a statement. Shutting off large consumers could save large amounts of energy quickly, it said.
It instructed the economy ministry to examine compensation options and how to pass on resulting costs via gas tariffs.
The government said it could also order that rooms heated with gas limit temperatures to 20 degrees Celsius (68°F) rather than the 19 degrees first envisaged.
The government is tweaking its proposals to deal with disruptions to supplies as a result of the war in Ukraine. It plans a series of increasingly strict steps should conservation fail to head off shortages.
It could also ban using gas for heating vacant buildings, swimming pools, spas or saunas, or for fireplaces and heated tents.
It had originally said households and services such as hospitals, homes for the elderly, police, firefighters, sewage treatment and trash collection would not be subject to rationing.
But on Wednesday it noted that guaranteeing grid stability in the event of a shortage was the priority.
"Due to the particularities of domestic gas consumption -- with a high share of building heat -- all consumer groups will probably have to make an appropriate contribution to saving gas already at the beginning of a shortage situation," it said.
Switzerland gets its gas via trading hubs in neighbouring countries in the European Union.
Switzerland has relatively low demand for gas, which traditionally covers around 15% of energy consumption. Around 42% of gas is used to heat households, and the rest in industry and in the service and transport sectors, government data show.
