More heat pumps and less oil: how the Swiss heat their homes

The percentage of homes equipped with a heat pump in Switzerland is higher than the European average. Fossil fuel use is declining, but oil continues to heat more than one in three buildings, one of the highest shares on the continent. The energy transition is making its way into Swiss people’s homes. The proportion of residential buildings in Switzerland equipped with a heat pump has increased fivefold since 2000 to reach 21% last year, according to the latest data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). The share rises to 75% for properties built in the past decade. The situation is slightly different for households: in 2023, 18% had installed a heat pump. The use of this heating system in Switzerland is higher than the average of the countries surveyed by the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA). A heat pump extracts thermal energy from the air, water or ground and uses it to heat a building. If the electricity that powers it is of renewable origin, the heat pump is a ...