Münchenstein/Zurich, 16 December 2024: In a joint study, Primeo Energie and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) have determined how much electricity Swiss households with single-family homes and heat pumps could potentially save in the event of an energy shortage. With the right price signals, savings of 13.7 per cent are possible. However, these savings require flexible, dynamic electricity prices.
The background to the study is the question of how Switzerland can save electricity in the event of an energy shortage. One possibility is for single-family households with heat pumps to turn them down and thus reduce electricity consumption. Primeo Energie and the ZHAW wanted to find out to what extent financial incentives in the form of higher electricity prices would encourage homeowners to actively regulate their heat pumps and accept lower room temperatures in the short term, and how high the specific savings potential would be.
The study, in which 367 households from the Primeo Energie supply area participated, shows: On average, heat pump owners are willing to actively regulate them and accept lower temperatures for a short time if electricity prices rise as sharply as they would in the event of an electricity shortage. The calculated electricity savings potential was 13.7 per cent. The ZHAW researchers based their calculations on prices between CHF 1 and CHF 7 per kWh – prices that can occur on the Swiss intraday electricity markets for a few hours or days in the event of an acute shortage.
However, under the current Swiss tariff model, which provides for fixed electricity prices throughout the year, households have little financial incentive to take advantage of the flexibility of heat pump regulation. The researchers therefore suggest considering a combination of dynamic prices and hedging payments. This would enable consumers to react flexibly to price signals without being exposed to an unreasonable price risk. Households would even have the opportunity to save money with this model if they adjusted their consumption.
The results of the study could theoretically contribute to the future design of energy policy in Switzerland. Flexible consumption incentives could help to cushion short-term electricity shortages and reduce the need for reserve power plant capacities. The researchers point out that the study only covers single-family households with heat pumps and is not representative of the population as a whole. In particular, the savings potential for tenants requires further investigation.
You can view and download the summary report of the study here.
Media contact: presse@primeo-energie.ch
