Since 2009, Swiss consumers have been paying a surcharge on every kWh consumed. This surcharge currently amounts to 2.3 centimes per kilowatt hour (ct/kWh). In the long term, this is expected to bring in more than CHF 1.
In reality, the total amount of subsidies for new renewable energies is not going to decrease. On the contrary, it will even increase. On the other hand, the tariff for the purchase of green electricity by grid operators will gradually fall for newly commissioned plants.
The overall financial envelope available to the renewable energy support programme is capped by technology (solar, wind, biomass, small hydro and geothermal). Photovoltaics has been a considerable success story, which has far exceeded the subsidy volumes available for this technology.
The renovation of buildings represents important investments that often do not prove to be profitable under the current conditions of low energy and CO2 prices. The Buildings Programme does not seem to be sufficient to change this situation.
Carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gas emitted by our current energy system, is today considered a worthless waste. According to the polluter pays principle, the most direct way to make the costs of environmental impacts be borne by those who cause them is to make them pay the price, which in this case means putting a price on CO2 emissions.
A much higher energy tax would have virtually no impact on consumption in the short term. But it would lead to a massive decrease in energy demand and CO2 emissions in the long term.