Have you already ordered the heating oil for your oil heating or the gas for your gas heating for next winter? If so, the bill has probably made you gulp empty several times: In just one year, for example, the price of heating oil has almost doubled from 83.52 to 165.74 francs for 100 litres (as of 16 August 2022). Since the invasion of Russian troops in Ukraine on 24 February, the prices for oil and natural gas have fluctuated sharply. The three most important reasons for this energy price development:
The average single-family house in Switzerland is 140 square metres and consumes 17 litres of heating oil per square metre per year for space heating and hot water preparation. These 2,380 litres of heating oil (140 square metres x 17 litres) cost almost 4,000 francs today instead of just under 2,000 francs in August 2021. That is 2,000 francs a year or 163 francs a month more in heating costs. Every month, not just in the heating season. Furthermore, the high energy prices, along with the rising prices for food and raw materials, are mainly responsible for inflation and thus the higher mortgage interest rates in Switzerland.
Goal for model cantonal regulations in the energy sector for energetically renovated old buildings is 8 l/m2. New buildings according to the Minergie standard may not consume more than 5 l/m2.
According to HeizOel24 the average delivery time for heating oil in Switzerland is currently 20 working days. That's almost a month. That's why you should order soon, before the temperatures drop.
Commodity experts assume that energy prices will remain high. That is why we have updated the operating cost calculation for oil heating and for gas heating in our heating calculator with the higher energy prices. At the same time, we have adjusted the operating cost calculation for wood heating because the prices for pellets have risen by 50 percent in one year due to increased demand. We update our calculations regularly so that all results are always up-to-date and meaningful. This applies to both the heating calculator and the energy calculator.
With our heating calculator, you can calculate the operating costs, CO2 emissions and remaining life of your oil or gas heating and compare it with a heat pump, for example. The comparison takes into account the location of the house, the remaining life of your heating system and other factors. Among other things, the investment costs and subsidies, your energy requirements, running costs and environmental compatibility. After the analysis, you will know how much the heating will cost you, how much money you will save, how much less carbon dioxide the new heating emits and how quickly your investment will pay for itself.
Because of the high prices of natural gas and heating oil, a heat pump pays off even faster as an alternative. An air-source heat pump for an average single-family house costs about 9,000 francs more than an oil heating system, but its annual operating costs are about 2,000 francs lower. The heat pump pays for itself after four and a half years, and from the fifth year you save 2,000 francs a year.
However, for macroeconomic considerations and because of the security of electricity supply in Switzerland, it makes more sense for old oil heating systems to be replaced by heat pumps only after the winter of 2022/23. Oil should be more readily available in winter than electricity, which is largely produced in Germany from gas and must be imported into Switzerland.
In the article "CO2 Emissions from Heating Systems: How to Protect the Environment and Save Money" you can find out how to protect the environment and save money, while in the article "Heat Pump: Costs, Advantages and Subsidies" everything about heat pumps.
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With our energy calculator you can check the energy efficiency of your house and simulate the effects of energy renovations on energy consumption, heating costs and CO2 emissions. You can also calculate the investment costs, the subsidies and the savings potential. With a new heating system, new windows and better exterior insulation, you can reduce your energy costs by an average of 60 percent. To find out how energy renovations affect energy efficiency, you can simulate energy measures individually or in combination. For example, façade insulation, new windows and a heat pump. You can see at a glance how the measures affect energy efficiency, how much energy you save and by how much you reduce your CO2 emissions.
In the article "Checklist: Renovate Energetically a House or Apartment" you can read how to implement the measures step by step and download a checklist to guide you safely through the process.
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On average, a Swiss private household uses 22 percent of its energy for heating and 14 percent for hot water. That is more than a third of its total energy consumption. With these ten tips, you can save energy and thus money next winter without sacrificing comfort, and at the same time reduce CO2 emissions:
If you have older electrical appliances, you should check their energy efficiency class. Find out whether a replacement is worthwhile in the article "Energy Efficiency: New Energy Labels for Household Appliances".
However, for macroeconomic considerations and because of the security of electricity supply in Switzerland, it makes more sense for older oil heating systems to be replaced by heat pumps, only after winter 2022/23. Oil is rather to be readily available this winter than electricity, which is largely produced from gas in Germany and gets imported into Switzerland.
Have you had enough of high gas or oil bills? Use our energy calculator to simulate the effects of energy renovations on energy consumption, heating costs and CO2 emissions and calculate your savings potential. With a new heating system, new windows and better exterior insulation, you can save 60 percent on heating costs. However, you will probably need some patience: Many heating installers are currently very busy because demand for heat pumps is higher than ever.
