https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Switzerland in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The price of fuel at Swiss pumps has increased by up to 25 percent in the past several weeks. Is the government taking any action to neutralise this upward trend as governments in neighbouring countries are? https://www.thelocal.ch/20260414/why-is-swiss-government-not-taking-action-over-rising-petrol-prices Tue, 14 Apr 2026 15:40:02 +0200 why-is-swiss-government-not-taking-action-over-rising-petrol-prices The price of diesel fuel has rocketed by more than 30 percent across Europe since the start of the Middle East war highlighting the continent's dependence on imported energy and the lingering prominence of diesel on the car market. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260404/european-drivers-choke-on-rising-diesel-prices Sat, 04 Apr 2026 16:17:02 +0200 european-drivers-choke-on-rising-diesel-prices War in the Middle East has caused energy market volatility around the globe, forcing governments in Europe to intervene and keep fuel costs down for consumers. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260328/what-are-european-countries-doing-to-keep-fuel-costs-down Sat, 28 Mar 2026 14:13:15 +0100 what-are-european-countries-doing-to-keep-fuel-costs-down The armed conflict in Iran and the Middle East impacts not only the region's population but also, in many ways, countries outside the immediate area of conflict – including Switzerland. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260310/how-is-the-war-in-the-middle-east-impacting-life-in-switzerland Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:59:19 +0100 how-is-the-war-in-the-middle-east-impacting-life-in-switzerland Due to the situation in the Middle East, petrol prices in Switzerland have increased by 10 to 15 percent compared to the last week in February – that is, before US and Israel had launched airstrikes on Iran. But do good deals still exist? https://www.thelocal.ch/20260306/where-can-you-buy-cheapest-petrol-in-switzerland-right-now Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:05:49 +0100 where-can-you-buy-cheapest-petrol-in-switzerland-right-now The prices of petrol in Switzerland have been relatively stable since 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. But now they are climbing again. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260305/2-francs-a-litre-petrol-prices-are-on-the-rise-at-swiss-pumps Thu, 05 Mar 2026 11:49:29 +0100 2-francs-a-litre-petrol-prices-are-on-the-rise-at-swiss-pumps Temperatures have dropped in recent days across much of Switzerland, and tenants may be wondering if their homes should already be heated. Here's what you should know. https://www.thelocal.ch/20220920/reader-question-when-should-i-turn-on-my-heating-in-switzerland-this-year Tue, 20 Sep 2022 18:47:17 +0200 reader-question-when-should-i-turn-on-my-heating-in-switzerland-this-year The majority of Switzerland's residents can expect to pay less for their electricity next year. This is the situation in your community. https://www.thelocal.ch/20250910/which-swiss-households-will-see-electricity-bills-fall-in-2026 Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:00:48 +0200 which-swiss-households-will-see-electricity-bills-fall-in-2026 There are rules and regulations for practically everything in Switzerland, including whether you can stay cool and comfortable in your own home. https://www.thelocal.ch/20220712/why-getting-permission-for-air-conditioners-is-so-hard-in-switzerland Tue, 12 Jul 2022 16:44:34 +0200 why-getting-permission-for-air-conditioners-is-so-hard-in-switzerland A sweeping power outage left millions of people in Spain, Portugal and parts of France without electricity on April 28th. Could such a large-scale grid failure hit Switzerland as well? https://www.thelocal.ch/20250429/could-switzerland-also-be-hit-by-massive-nationwide-blackout Tue, 29 Apr 2025 15:23:08 +0200 could-switzerland-also-be-hit-by-massive-nationwide-blackout From April 2025 Switzerland’s government is offering higher bonuses to encourage property owners to harness the sun’s clean energy. https://www.thelocal.ch/20250401/the-new-financial-incentives-for-putting-solar-panels-on-swiss-your-home Tue, 01 Apr 2025 15:58:40 +0200 the-new-financial-incentives-for-putting-solar-panels-on-swiss-your-home The government has taken steps to lower the price of energy in Switzerland and introduced measures to simplify the entire system. This is how consumers will benefit from the new measures. https://www.thelocal.ch/20250221/how-youll-be-able-to-save-money-on-your-swiss-electricity-bills Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:46:02 +0100 how-youll-be-able-to-save-money-on-your-swiss-electricity-bills Switzerland's government said Friday it wanted to change the law to get around a 2018 ban on building more nuclear power stations to help guarantee the country's energy needs. https://www.thelocal.ch/20241221/swiss-government-wants-to-overturn-ban-on-building-new-nuclear-power-plants Sat, 21 Dec 2024 09:55:25 +0100 swiss-government-wants-to-overturn-ban-on-building-new-nuclear-power-plants Switzerland's Beznau nuclear plant, one of the oldest in the world, will keep running until 2033, its operator announced on Thursday, as environmentalists argued it should be shut down "immediately". https://www.thelocal.ch/20241205/swiss-to-keep-europes-oldest-nuclear-power-plant-running-until-2033 Thu, 05 Dec 2024 16:17:47 +0100 swiss-to-keep-europes-oldest-nuclear-power-plant-running-until-2033 An increasing number of Switzerland’s residents opt to install a heat pump in their homes. Could this be a good option for you too? https://www.thelocal.ch/20240925/should-i-get-a-heat-pump-for-my-home-in-switzerland Wed, 25 Sep 2024 18:11:04 +0200 should-i-get-a-heat-pump-for-my-home-in-switzerland There is good news for most households in Switzerland: electricity prices will fall next year at last. But the drops won't be equal across the country. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240906/how-much-could-electricity-prices-fall-by-in-your-part-of-switzerland Fri, 06 Sep 2024 13:10:18 +0200 how-much-could-electricity-prices-fall-by-in-your-part-of-switzerland Switzerland said Wednesday it was open to building new nuclear power stations in the long term, given new geopolitical uncertainties, climate targets and population growth boosting the demand for electricity. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240829/switzerland-reopens-door-for-new-nuclear-power-plants Thu, 29 Aug 2024 13:16:54 +0200 switzerland-reopens-door-for-new-nuclear-power-plants Switzerland's largest wind farm, sitting astride the ridge of the Jura mountains by the French border, consists of only 16 turbines -- tiny compared to those of other European countries. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240606/swiss-renewable-energy-battle-moves-to-the-ballots Thu, 06 Jun 2024 10:30:06 +0200 swiss-renewable-energy-battle-moves-to-the-ballots Cities across Switzerland cut back on festive lighting last year amid the energy crisis. We look at what's happening this year. https://www.thelocal.ch/20231102/are-swiss-cities-cutting-back-on-christmas-lights-this-year Thu, 02 Nov 2023 14:30:33 +0100 are-swiss-cities-cutting-back-on-christmas-lights-this-year A Swiss-led team has driven electric vans across Europe and the Arabian Peninsula to Qatar to showcase zero-emission battery powered vehicles, organisers said Sunday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20231001/swiss-led-team-drives-electric-vans-from-geneva-to-doha Sun, 01 Oct 2023 17:06:52 +0200 swiss-led-team-drives-electric-vans-from-geneva-to-doha