The price of electricity will increase in 2023 with strong disparities according to the suppliers – rts.ch

The price of electricity will increase almost everywhere in French-speaking Switzerland next year, and sometimes painfully. According to several announcements from electricity suppliers on Wednesday, rates could increase by almost 60% for some households. There are, however, significant disparities.

Electricity suppliers have until midnight Wednesday to announce their tariff for next year to the Federal Office of Energy. Some also communicate publicly. And this is the group Romande Energy which, first, announced a “historic” increase in its integrated tariffs. Power prices for most of its customers will increase by 49% next year.

Some households may even see their kilowatt-hour (kWh) increase by almost two-thirds (+61%), depending on their consumption profile. The Vaud supplier gives the example of a four-room apartment in Morges: the bill will increase by 23.40 francs per month, or about 280 francs more over the year.

The company assures that the sharp increase in its prices will not result in an extension of its margins, “even if a catch-up effect in 2023 compared to 2022 cannot be excluded”. It now urges its customers to adopt changes in their lifestyle in order to reduce their consumption.

“These increases can be painful, we are aware of it. We take no profit on these increases, our margins are supervised by the energy policeman”, indicated Christian Petit, general manager of Romande Energie, in Forum.

>> Interview with Christian Petit:

Energy suppliers announce a sharp 50% increase in the price of electricity: interview with Christian Petit / Forum / 5 min. / yesterday at 6:06 p.m.

>> Read also: With inflation, precariousness is on the doorstep of many households in Switzerland

Strong differences

Elsewhere in French-speaking Switzerland, the increase will also be palpable. Right, which supplies electricity in particular to Sion and Sierre (VS), announces an increase of 64%. This is more than the 52% increase announced by Viteos, in the canton of Neuchâtel. In Geneva, fares for SAY will rise by 22% on average. To Lausanne (SIL)of 26%. Groupe E announces a 20% increase. At the house of Bernese driving forces (BKW)active in French-speaking Switzerland in the cantons of Bern and Jura, prices will be stable.

These rates are increasing mainly for two reasons. The increase in the costs of using the Swissgrid network on the one hand, but above all the explosion of energy prices on the markets, the causes of which are multiple: the failure of French nuclear power plants, the shortage of gas or more drought.

>> Read also: Why will the price of electricity increase in Switzerland?

The disparities can be significant between the nearly 600 Swiss suppliers. For example, BKW customers will pay just a few extra francs in 2023 compared to 2022.

It mainly depends on the production capacity of the suppliers. Some own many power stations and produce the electricity they sell themselves. They are therefore much less dependent on the European market. Conversely, those who produce no kilowatt-hours are now bearing the full brunt of the energy crisis.

Valentin Emery/ats/ebz/jop/fme

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