The Swiss government is considering banning most uses of electricity nationwide in emergency situations. For example, there is talk of a ban on the use of electric cars and streaming services.
In the draft regulation, quoted by t-online, four emergency levels are described to prevent a possible black out, a complete collapse of the electricity grid. The two highest ‘escalation levels’ include a national ban on the use of electric cars for non-essential purposes, the use of streaming services, the use of DVD and Blu-ray players, consoles and game computers, and the mining of cryptocurrencies.
At escalation levels 1 and 2, less drastic measures are taken to limit Swiss power consumption. This limits the use of devices and systems that handle extreme temperatures; this includes, for example, ice machines, hot tubs, saunas, and dryers. Heating in public areas must also be virtually switched off.
In addition, the Swiss government is considering adopting individual measures to limit power consumption in emergency situations. For example, there is talk of a maximum speed of 100 km/h on highways and the nationwide switching off of devices and lights that are not essential. In such cases, sleep mode should only be used if it can ‘prevent damage to electrical appliances’.
As far as is known, Switzerland is the first country in Europe to have drawn up such a detailed emergency plan for possible electricity shortages, for example as a result of the war in Ukraine. On December 12, the Swiss government will consider the draft regulation.
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