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ENERGY

Swiss drivers fuel a cross-border rift with France

As petrol is cheaper in France than in Switzerland at the moment, many Geneva residents cross the border to fuel up their cars. However France's cheaper prices are ultimately funded by the French taxpayer, and some French officials are none too happy about this 'pump tourism'.

Published: 16 August 2022 11:52 CEST
Swiss drivers fuel a cross-border rift with France
Swiss motorists are fuelling up their cars at French pumps. Image by IADE-Michoko from Pixabay

Geneva area residents have been shopping in nearby France for years, as most goods are cheaper on the other side of the border.

It is not unusual to see cars with Geneva and Vaud registration plates in parking lots of French supermarkets, and this practice, known as ‘shopping tourism’, has been boosting the economies of border regions for decades.

Lately, however, ‘shopping tourism’ has spawned off a new phenomenon dubbed ‘pump tourism’, as an increasing number of cars from Switzerland fill up at French petrol stations with cheaper petrol/gasoline or diesel.

A litre of fuel in Geneva now costs 2.20 francs, while the price is €1.80 just across the border. Given the exceptionally strong franc and favourable (for the Swiss) exchange rate — €1.04 for 1 franc — buying a full tank of gasoline in Haute-Savoie makes financial sense.

READ MORE: Petrol to top CHF2 per litre in several Swiss cantons

But the cheaper pump prices in France are the result of the government fuel rebate of 18 cents per litre – as this is ultimately funded by the French taxpayer, some of the French are none too happy about Swiss motorists benefiting.

Loïc Hervé, a senator from Haute-Savoie, suggested that the Swiss are taking advantage of French state aid on the price of fuel in France.

“We absolutely have to give priority to French people.  We should not be helping out the rich, the Swiss, and foreign tourists. It’s as simple as that”, Hervé, told Tribune de Genève in an interview.

Geneva State Councilor Mauro Poggia swiftly responded to Hervé’s comments, pointing out that cross-border workers from France have been benefiting for years from perks offered by Swiss employers, such as higher salaries.

READ MORE: EXPLAINED: Who can work in Switzerland but live in a neighbouring country?

“And let’s not forget that the French also fill up their cars in Geneva before returning home, and it hasn’t bothered anyone”, he said.

In fact, before Russia invaded Ukraine in February, unleaded gas was less expensive in Switzerland than in France.

The reason this is no longer the case is that France, along with Switzerland’s other neighbours, Germany, Italy, and Austria, have put in place a fuel rebate on petrol and diesel – at present this is 18 cents per litre, but it will rise to 30 cents per litre in September.

The Swiss government was considering a similar tax cut as well, but the Council of States rejected this proposal in June amid concerns about how to compensate for the lost revenue. 

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READER QUESTION

EXPLAINED: Can I terminate my Swiss telecom contract early?

When you sign up with a telecom provider in Switzerland, your fate is sealed: you must remain with that company until your agreement expires. But what if you want to get out of the contract ahead of schedule?

Published: 24 July 2024 13:21 CEST
EXPLAINED: Can I terminate my Swiss telecom contract early?

On July 24th, 2024, Switzerland’s largest telecom operator, Swisscom, has abandoned its inOne Home package, which includes the telephone, Internet and television, and replaced it with another service, Basic Home.

But the cost of the subscription increased from 50 francs a month to 59.90 francs.  

If you happen to be one of the Swisscom customers affected by this change, but did not cancel your subscription on time (read more about this below), you were ‘migrated’ to the new bundle automatically — and will be charged accordingly.

What happens if you don’t want this more expensive service but have not cancelled your contract in time?

More specifically, can you terminate your telecom subscription — whether with Swisscom or another company — at any time?

The simple answer is yes, but it will cost you money.

That’s because telecom contracts typically have a minimum term — usually 12 or 24 months, but this can vary — as well as the required cancellation notice period.

Each of Switzerland’s three main telecom providers — Swisscom, Sunrise, and Salt — have a two-month termination notice period, at calendar month’s end.

This is the usual notice period for smaller providers like Yallo, Wingo, Coop Mobile, LidlConnect, and M-Budget Mobile as well.

On the other hand, prepaid mobile services don’t require notice periods and can be terminated at any time.

What are the penalties for early termination?

If you cancel your service within the contractual notice period, then you are in the clear.

However, failing to do so can be expensive.

The reason is that telecoms will not just let you off the hook and wish you well while you contract with one of their competitors.

Most likely, you will be faced with one of two scenarios: the company will charge you penalty fees or continue to bill you for the plan until the notice period has expired.

Also, according to Moneyland consumer platform, “a practice that is widespread among Swiss telecom companies is to continue charging you the basic fees for your plan until the contract term expires… Regardless of whether you are terminating ahead of the contract term or just the notice period, telecom companies will require you to pay the full outstanding amount in both cases.”

In terms of actual amounts, they vary from one provider to another.

Swisscom charges the highest penalty fees for breach of contract — up to 4,800 francs.

Other mobile service providers impose penalties of several hundred francs, according to Moneyland.

Exceptions to the rule(s)

You are allowed you to terminate your contract early without penalties when a ‘negative’ change is made to your plan — that is, telecom provider reduces or drops services that were previously included.

Penalties can also be waved if you cancel your subscription early because you move out of Switzerland.

If you relocate within Switzerland, you won’t have to pay penalties, but only if your new home is completely uncovered by your provider’s mobile network.

Additionally, even though Swiss telecoms have a contractual right to raise their prices once a year to match changes in the consumer price index, these increases do entitle customers to terminate their contract early without penalty fees.

And, last but not least, death is also deemed a justifiable excuse to wave penalties.

As Moneyland put it, “all Swiss telecom companies take a customer-friendly approach in the case of death, allowing relatives to terminate the deceased’s contracts immediately without paying penalty fees.”

Can you just refuse to pay the early termination fees?

Unless you move out of the country, or go to live in an extremely rare place in Switzerland where there is no wi-fi coverage (like a cave), or die, then you do have to pay the penalties — unless you come to an amicable agreement of some sort with your telecom provider.

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