- Total energy consumption in Switzerland rose slightly last year to 767,450 terajoules.
- The most important reason for this is air traffic, according to a statement from the Federal Office of Energy (BFE).
- In 2023, heating was more common than in the previous year, but increasingly with renewable energies.
After the Covid-19 pandemic, air traffic recovered and sales of aviation fuel rose by 19 percent. This caused total energy consumption to rise by 0.3 percent. According to the SFOE’s statement, less aviation fuel was still sold than in 2019 – the year before the pandemic.
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Flying is the main reason why total energy consumption in Switzerland increased slightly last year.
Keystone/ Gaetan Bally
Fossil fuels for driving were also sold 0.3 percent more than in the previous year, but also less than in 2019. However, sales of gasoline rose by 3.4 percent, while those of diesel fell by 2.1 percent. According to the BFE, fossil fuels account for around a third of total final energy consumption.
Other factors affecting energy consumption also increased in 2023: population, economic output and also the number of motor vehicles and homes.
Less natural gas and heating oil but more district heating
Due to cooler weather than in the previous year, more heating was required in 2023, but the switch to “renewables” is reflected in the statistics. The consumption of natural gas and heating oil fell despite the 1.8 percent higher number of heating degree days.
Electricity consumption also decreased. However, the consumption of energy wood increased, as did the use of heat pumps and district heating. The share of these renewable energy sources in total final energy consumption is increasing continuously. In 2023, it was almost 12 percent. Fossil fuels for heating accounted for almost half of total consumption.