Electricity & Water

Geneva’s electricity supply is produced by hydraulics and provided solely by SIG. There are several types of electricity supply, including: SIG Vitale Bleu: This is the least expensive, and will cost around SFr 45 per month (average estimate for a couple living together); SIG Vitale Jaune: This is slightly more expensive (by about SFr 5…

Gas

Gas is not available in all buildings. If you require activation of a mains gas connection, you should call SIG on 022 420 75 50. If you need to buy a gas grill stove, you can try the main dealers, or see if there are any good second-hand ones available (see Second-hand Goods, [p.156]). To…

Rubbish Disposal and Recycling

Household waste can be disposed of in the bins provided in your building. Geneva has an intricate system of collecting different types of rubbish. There are certain days of the week or month when items can be left outside your home for removal. For example, paper and cardboard are left out on Tuesday night and…

Telephone

The national telecommunications company, Swisscom, has a near monopoly on telecommunications, as they are the only company that can supply you with a telephone line. National and international telecommunications are excellent. Although the telecommunications market was liberalised in Switzerland in January 1998, Swisscom is still the only company that can provide a landline connection. Once…

Internet

Both Swisscom and Sunrise can hook you up to the information superhighway. You can access the Internet from any standard telephone line (using a modem at a speed of 56 Kbps). Alternatively, if you feel the need for speed, you can apply for an ISDN line (64 Kbps) or an ADSL line (128 Kbps). With…

Postal Services

Switzerland has an excellent postal service and first class national post arrives the following day. The stamp prices vary according to the weight and size of the letter, so if you’re saving pennies, fold A4 documents in half and use an A5 envelope. Post boxes are yellow and most of them issue stamps. Key in…

Television

Television (Local Channels) If you were thinking of bringing your TV with you to Geneva, think again – there is a different transmission standard in Switzerland, and TV sets from other countries may not work. Bad news if you’ve just bought a brand new telly, but at least it’s one less thing to pack! So,…