Electricity, internet and Serafe at the new address
Three sign-ups that work by quite different rules: electricity comes from the local utility, internet from whichever provider you choose, and the Serafe bill arrives by itself whether you get in touch or not.
Electricity
Swiss households cannot pick an electricity supplier freely; the utility for the supply area is the one that serves you. Report your move-in with the date and the meter reading, or you will be billed for the previous tenant’s consumption. Tariffs are regulated and published annually; you can compare the product, not the provider.
Internet
Here you do have a choice, though the technology has a say: whether fibre, cable or copper is available depends on the address. Check availability before you sign, and report the move early, because activation on the new line often takes several weeks. Check the remaining term of your current contract too; moving on its own is not a ground for terminating it.
Serafe
The radio and television levy is charged per household, whether or not you own a set. You do not need to register: Serafe takes addresses from the communal residents’ registers. That is exactly why registering with the commune is the step that matters. If you join an existing household the levy falls due only once; report the merger so that two bills do not run. Serafe publishes the current annual amount.
Photograph every meter on the day you move in. It takes two minutes and is your only evidence if the first bill contains someone else’s consumption.
These articles set out Swiss law in general terms and are not a substitute for legal advice on an individual case. Cantonal rules differ. In a dispute, contact the rent conciliation authority or a lawyer.