Electricity and, in many areas, district heating/gas are supplied by local/cantonal utility companies (e.g. ewz in Zurich, SIG in Geneva) rather than a single national provider, so utility set-up depends on the specific commune. Electricity rates for households are regulated but vary by canton/utility, typically running a household electricity bill of CHF 80-150/month depending on apartment size and heating type, with heating and hot water sometimes included in rent (common in apartment buildings) rather than billed separately.
Because there is no single national electricity provider, relocators need to identify their specific commune's utility company to set up service, and should check upfront whether the rental already bundles heating costs into the rent (Nebenkosten/charges) or bills separately, since this materially changes the monthly utility budget.
Key Facts
Each canton/city typically has its own electricity utility (e.g. ewz in Zurich, SIG in Geneva, IWB in Basel) rather than a single national supplier.
Typical household electricity cost: roughly CHF 80-150/month, depending on apartment size, appliances, and whether electric heating is used.
Many apartment rentals bundle heating, hot water, and building maintenance into a monthly ancillary charge (Nebenkosten/charges) added to rent, reconciled annually against actual usage.
Waste disposal in most cantons requires official pre-paid rubbish bags (Gebuhrensack/sac taxe) — using non-official bags can result in fines, and this is a distinctly Swiss system many newcomers are unaware of.
Water supply is typically municipal and often included in the Nebenkosten/ancillary charges rather than billed as a separate utility.
Steps
Identify your commune's utility provider — Electricity (and sometimes gas/heating) providers are local, not national — check with the landlord or commune.
Confirm what's bundled in Nebenkosten — Ask the landlord whether heating, water, and building costs are included in rent or billed separately.
Buy official rubbish bags — Purchase the commune's official pre-paid waste bags (Gebuhrensack) from local supermarkets — using unofficial bags risks fines.
Set up electricity account — Register directly with the local utility, typically requiring your rental contract and ID.
Costs
Household electricity: ~CHF 80-150/month
Official rubbish bags (per roll): CHF 15-30 per roll of ~10-35L bags, commune-dependent
Required Documents
Rental contract
Passport/ID
Common Mistakes
Using non-official rubbish bags and being fined, unaware Swiss communes require pre-paid official waste bags.
Not confirming whether heating/water costs are already bundled in rent, leading to budget surprises at the annual Nebenkosten reconciliation.
Assuming a single national electricity provider exists, rather than checking the specific local utility.