Less than a year after work from home guidance was scrapped in Switzerland, some Swiss businesses are drawing up plans to ask employees to work from home in order to combat rising utility bills.

Winter energy crisis looms in Switzerland

As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, the likelihood of gas shortages increases as the weather becomes colder. So far in 2022, the price of home utilities has risen sharply causing concerns over whether bills could become unaffordable in the winter months. 

Residents of Zurich are expected to be asked to keep their home temperatures at 20 degrees as opposed to the usual 23 degrees over the winter period, while the Association of Swiss Energy Companies states that the risk of a power shortage in the near future is “real and large”. Other options currently being explored by the Swiss government to combat shortages are gas rationing systems for businesses, with officials stressing that private households and crucial facilities such as hospitals and schools would not be subject to ration rules.

Return to work from home is on the horizon

Companies argue that they could save more money on expensive utility bills by asking their employees to work from home instead. While this makes costs more affordable for firms, questions are being raised as to whether placing the financial burden of heating employees’ houses all day during the winter is appropriate. For some workers, returning to the office after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland has been a blessing in terms of cutting heating, water and electricity bills at home.

Thankfully, gas rationing and work-from-home orders are being saved for the most serious of outcomes. Some international companies such as Axa have said that they will first reduce the temperature in their offices and see if that can help reduce gas use and keep costs as low as possible. Lidl Switzerland also said it is setting up contingency plans for blackouts in the worst-case scenario. Swiss supermarket Migros is also creating a plan for gas and electricity shortages and rations. “Basically, we feel well prepared. There is no reason to panic; even meticulous preparations for extreme scenarios do not mean that they will have to be implemented”, a spokesperson for Migros said.