Switzerland: up to three years imprisonment for heating above 19 degrees Celsius (66°F)

War and rationing are usually linked. The war provoked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine is causing an energy crisis. The situation has led neutral Switzerland to propose extraordinary measures in the event that the shortage worsens, and it is forced to ration gas.

The measures, approved by the Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER), have yet to pass through Parliament. They plan to impose a maximum heating temperature of 19 degrees, and that in the kitchen the water will only be heated to 60 degrees. In the event that the country were to suffer rationing, radiant heaters or hot air tents would also be banned. Likewise, swimming pools may not be heated. The measure also affects saunas. The ordinances also prohibit the use of heat in abandoned buildings.

A police state, but not much

The most striking aspect of the regulation is the penalties associated with violating these measures: They range from a fine, which can reach 3,000 Swiss francs (about $3,150), or 180 per day ($190), to imprisonment for up to three years. EAER spokesperson, Markus Spörndli, told the daily newspaper Blick that "Violations of the state supply law are considered misdemeanors, however, in some cases may they be considered felonies and must be prosecuted by the cantons ex officio (aka: public prosecutors office)."

However, the Swiss government will not engage in house-to-house inspections to ensure compliance with these measures. This is what Economy Minister Guy Parmelin has declared: "We are not a police state," says the vice-president of the Swiss People's Party. Or perhaps they are not quite a police state, because Parmelin has specified that "the police will not go to every house, but there may be spot checks."

Neighborhood Deliberations

In any case, the government relies on a dual principle. On the one hand, it says Spörndli, "the draft ordinances are mainly based on the fact that the vast majority of the population respects the law." For the remaining minority, however, they rely on the second principle: the denunciation by neighbors.

In any case, it will not be the confederal government, but the cantons that will be responsible for implementing the ordinances. Some cantons have complained that the rules are entering a gray area, where their application is complicated. For example, it is sometimes unclear when the use of a building has been abandoned, if it still maintains some activity. The cantons have until September 22 to submit the parameters of the new regulations.