Switzerland consumes about 230 TWh of final energy per year. One-third is used to cover our transportation needs, mainly through petroleum products, with a smaller proportion of electricity and a marginal contribution from natural gas.
In Switzerland, since 1990, final energy consumption has been growing by an average of 0.3 to 0.5% per year as a result of population growth and economic development. This is despite the fact that average consumption per person is tending to fall.
Our electricity consumption is increasing for three reasons. First, it is irreplaceable for many services, such as lighting and electronics, which are increasingly used in our technological society. Second, the development of electrical mobility and services to an aging population will also contribute to the increase in needs.
In the absence of measures to improve energy efficiency, energy consumption increases with population and gross domestic product (GDP).
Population growth causes ipso facto a general increase in energy demand. To control energy consumption in times of population growth, there is only one solution: reduce individual consumption by means of efficiency measures.