Genevans look to wood fires to stay warm

Chimney sweeps are overwhelmed in Geneva as many want to bring their long ignored fireplace back into action.

Facing a potential energy crisis and federal limits on household temperatures, using wood seems to be an option worth exploring.

The law states that all chimneys have to be maintained and swept once a year. 

But chimney sweeps and companies that install wood burners have told the Tribune de Genève that they’ve had so many requests, it can now take 5 months to get an appointment. 

If a fireplace has not been used for many years, it needs to be checked with a camera to make sure it's safe. 

The Geneva Fire Service says a badly maintained chimney can mean smoke in the  home or worse a fire in the chimney itself.

 

 

More from Bitesize News

  • Citizenship remains one of the hardest on continent

    The Council of States has rejected a popular initiative that would have let foreigners apply for citizenship after just five years, closing the parliamentary door on the biggest attempt in years to loosen one of Europe's strictest naturalisation regimes

  • More gun crime in Annemasse

    Seven people are in French police custody after a shooting Monday evening at a drug-dealing spot in Ville-la-Grand, on the edge of Annemasse

  • Geneva land ownership change

    The canton of Geneva is set to become the sole owner of the land beneath Stade de Genève, buying out a parcel held by federal railways CFF for CHF 15.84 million

  • Agriculture warning after record breaking summer

    Farmers warn that another summer like this one would eat through their remaining reserves and force cuts to herds and crops

  • SNB interest rate stable

    The Swiss National Bank has kept its key interest rate at zero, sticking with a policy that has held since June 2025 even as oil-driven inflation ticks higher

  • Phone company going to court

    A Swisscom technician who spent 38 years at the company says he was fired for helping his 80-year-old neighbour cancel a subscription she never wanted

Download our app

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play