For the first time since 2008, health insurance premiums will go down next year in most of Switzerland. 14 cantons will lower their premiums, offering savings from – CHF 8.60 in Basel to – CHF 0.50 in Zug. Unfortunately the cantons in central Switzlerand are seeing their premiums go up next year, + CHF 3.50 in Obwalden, +CHF 2.2 in Nidwalden and +CHF 1.50 in Lucerne.
Premiums are decided by looking at the costs of the previous year and adjusting the upcoming premium accordingly.
The price of natural gas has been going up worldwide, as a consequence the price of gas will most likely go up for consumers in Switzerland too. 20% of homes use gas as their source for heating, they will feel the pinch the most.
Fewer private homes are being built than ever. In 15 years the number of private homes being built has been halved. This can be explained by eal estate companies calculating that rental properties are easier to fill and the mortgage easier to find. This in turn drives the price of private homes up as fewer are avilable and makes them less accessible for ordinary families.
Proving this statement right is the fact that the Pilatus Arena has already managed to find buyers for 90 of the 163 apartments it is planning to build. With prices ranging from CHF 380 000 for a 1.5 room flat on the 8th to CHF 4 million for a 4.5 room apartment on the 36th floor. Unsurprisingly it is the lower floor apartments (i.e. the cheaper ones) that are being reserved.
Saturday a tourist on his way up to Pilatus, jumped out of the window of a moving train so that he could have a pee. The train driver stopped the train to check if he was alright and the tourist climbed back into the train once his business was done and couldn’t understand what the fuss was all about. Relieved that he didn’t injure himself, the Pilatus Bahn are considering fining him for reckless behaviour all the same.
