Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
Rents are increasing, fake ads, the truth about 'Swiss' chickens, and other news in our roundup on Tuesday.
Higher rents reported throughout Switzerland
Swiss tenants have had to pay 0.3 percent more for new rents in August than the previous month, data released on Monday by Homegate real estate platform indicates.
Though the hike impacted dwellings across the country, Geneva and Bern registered the highest increase, at 1 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively.
The prices in Zurich and Basel, on the other hand, remained relatively stable in August, but jumped considerably in comparison to the same period last year: 5.6 percent for Zurich and 2.9 percent for Basel.
READ MORE: Where in Switzerland is renting cheaper than buying right now?
Fake billboards urge residents to report neighbours who overheat their homes
The message on billboards that appeared in some of the German-speaking regions says: “Does your neighbor heat his apartment above 19 degrees? Inform us”.
The message also mentions a reward of 200 francs as an incentive for reporting neighbours who use excessive amounts of heating.
The telephone number of the Energy Ministry is listed for callers to use.
But while the number is real, the message is not.
“The government has no such posters, nor do we ask people to report such things to us”, according to Simone Hug, spokesperson for the Energy Ministry.
Authorities are now investigating who is behind this fake campaign.
READ MORE: What the Swiss government is asking you to do to save energy
Summer weather is on the way out
Today may be the last warm and sunny day before the onset of cooler weather, according to meteorologist Roger Perret from MeteoNews weather service.
From tomorrow on, temperatures will drop, and conditions will turn from sunny to rainy in much of Switzerland.
“Particularly heavy precipitation can be expected along the Alps," Perret said.
By the weekend, temperatures could go down to 15 degrees, paving the way to the official start of the autumn season on September 23rd.
Revealed: Swiss chickens have a migration background
If you believe you are buying a Swiss chicken in a supermarket — because the label says so — beware.
It turns out that some chicks, a necessary link in the breeding chain, are imported — their fathers and mothers are located mainly in the Netherlands, Germany and France.
“Unlike pork production, where we largely have our own Swiss farms, we are completely dependent on foreign poultry production”, according to Tobias Sennhauser, chairman of an animal rights organization Tier im Fokus.
This information is confirmed by Markus Wüthrich, managing director of the Wüthrich Brüterei AG chicken farm.
“Parents of chickens arrive in Switzerland as day-old chicks", he said.
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
Comments
See Also
Higher rents reported throughout Switzerland
Swiss tenants have had to pay 0.3 percent more for new rents in August than the previous month, data released on Monday by Homegate real estate platform indicates.
Though the hike impacted dwellings across the country, Geneva and Bern registered the highest increase, at 1 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively.
The prices in Zurich and Basel, on the other hand, remained relatively stable in August, but jumped considerably in comparison to the same period last year: 5.6 percent for Zurich and 2.9 percent for Basel.
READ MORE: Where in Switzerland is renting cheaper than buying right now?
Fake billboards urge residents to report neighbours who overheat their homes
The message on billboards that appeared in some of the German-speaking regions says: “Does your neighbor heat his apartment above 19 degrees? Inform us”.
The message also mentions a reward of 200 francs as an incentive for reporting neighbours who use excessive amounts of heating.
The telephone number of the Energy Ministry is listed for callers to use.
But while the number is real, the message is not.
“The government has no such posters, nor do we ask people to report such things to us”, according to Simone Hug, spokesperson for the Energy Ministry.
Authorities are now investigating who is behind this fake campaign.
READ MORE: What the Swiss government is asking you to do to save energy
Summer weather is on the way out
Today may be the last warm and sunny day before the onset of cooler weather, according to meteorologist Roger Perret from MeteoNews weather service.
From tomorrow on, temperatures will drop, and conditions will turn from sunny to rainy in much of Switzerland.
“Particularly heavy precipitation can be expected along the Alps," Perret said.
By the weekend, temperatures could go down to 15 degrees, paving the way to the official start of the autumn season on September 23rd.
Revealed: Swiss chickens have a migration background
If you believe you are buying a Swiss chicken in a supermarket — because the label says so — beware.
It turns out that some chicks, a necessary link in the breeding chain, are imported — their fathers and mothers are located mainly in the Netherlands, Germany and France.
“Unlike pork production, where we largely have our own Swiss farms, we are completely dependent on foreign poultry production”, according to Tobias Sennhauser, chairman of an animal rights organization Tier im Fokus.
This information is confirmed by Markus Wüthrich, managing director of the Wüthrich Brüterei AG chicken farm.
“Parents of chickens arrive in Switzerland as day-old chicks", he said.
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.