Appeals to reduce gas consumption

Reducing natural gas consumption on a voluntary basis

If there is a shortage of natural gas, the NES's goal is to reduce demand in order to deal with the bottleneck. A gas shortage could severely affect the daily lives of several hundred thousand people. However, gas consumption can be reduced with measures that are acceptable to both private individuals and companies.

Reducing natural gas consumption in private households

Room temperature

Set the temperature on the heating system/thermostat/radiator valve correctly or be aware of your heating energy consumption!

You can reduce the maximum temperature for the heating system or for the room thermostats or radiator valves according to how you use a room or building.

The rule of thumb when heating is: for each degree you reduce the room temperature, you save up to six per cent gas and costs. Here are a few tips on how to save on heating:

The recommended maximum room temperature is 18 °C in the living/dining room, kitchen and WC, 15 °C in adjoining rooms (hallway), 22 °C in the bathroom, 16 °C in bedrooms and 20 °C in children's rooms.
Reduce the room temperature at night as well: turn down radiators at least one hour before going to bed, and floor heating three hours before going to bed. Only switch back to recommended full operating temperature one to three hours before getting up[HPB1] .
Reduce the room temperature even more in rooms that you rarely use. Keep the doors to these rooms closed.
If you are not at home for a longer period of time, reduce the room temperature even more. Please note, however, that reheating a room after it has cooled down too much requires a comparatively large amount of energy.
Reduce the temperature to an absolute minimum in unoccupied rooms and holiday homes. However, make sure that no frost damage can occur.
The same applies in administrative buildings belonging to industrial companies, service companies, hotels, shopping centres and leisure centres: reduce the room temperature to 18 degrees.

Hot water

Use warm water carefully!

Take a shower instead of a bath.
Do not wash dishes under the tap. Put water in the sink instead.
Repair dripping taps and leaking cisterns.
When brushing teeth, shaving, washing dishes, etc., do not leave the hot water tap running.
Use flow restrictors – tap and shower attachments that help save water.
If you are going to be away for more than five days, it is worth switching off the hot water heating.
Switch off unused systems completely or leave them running at a minimum to avoid frost damage.

Cooking

Look for products that can be prepared quickly and do not require long cooking times!

Reducing natural gas consumption in companies

Companies with dual-fuel installations

Some Swiss companies have dual-fuel installations that work with both natural gas and oil. If there is a gas shortage, they can switch to using oil and – in the event of a general fuel shortage ‒ also draw on the compulsory stocks that have been set up for this purpose.

In the event of a severe shortage, companies that do not have dual-fuel systems must expect their consumption to be rationed or, in the worst case, that they will even have to stop operating.