FAQ
What exactly am I making a climate contribution for?
You are making a climate contribution to offset the CO₂ emissions resulting from the average electricity consumption of the selected product over a 15-year period. For this purpose, 15 times the annual energy consumption of the respective product is calculated. This is based on the annual energy consumption of the appliances sold by V-ZUG (based on 2021). The usage behaviour is based on internal calculations, derived from studies, eco-design guidelines and real empirical values from the V-ZUG repair service.
How do I produce carbon emissions with my V-ZUG appliance?
To operate your V-ZUG appliance you consume electricity, and generating this electricity produces CO2 emissions. The amount of CO2 emitted varies depending on the type of electricity you buy from your energy supplier. Energy from non-renewable sources, such as coal-fired power plants, produces more carbon emissions than energy from renewable sources such as wind power.
What emissions factor does V-ZUG base my power consumption on?
To calculate your emissions, we use the average consumer power mix of the country in which you use the V-ZUG appliance. As a source, we usually use «Electricity Maps», an open source platform that provides electricity data including emission values for various regions of the world.
The country-specific values can be found in the table below.
For Switzerland, we refer to the values according to VSE2) / BAFU3) and use the average swiss consumer power mix or, if you buy a sustainable/renewable product from your energy supplier, the average swiss renewable power mix.
As corresponding emission values for renewable electricity are not available for all countries, we use the Swiss value for renewable consumer electricity for this purpose.
| Country | Power mix1) (g CO2eq/kWh) |
Renewable power mix 3) (g CO2eq/kWh) |
Currency | Amount in local currency4) (Per tonne of CO2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 508 | 15.7 | AUD | 71 AUD |
| Austria | 164 | 15.7 | EUR | 44 EUR |
| Belgium | 180 | 15.7 | EUR | 44 EUR |
| China | 485 | 15.7 | CNY | 350 CNY |
| Denmark | 112 | 15.7 | DKK | 327 DKK |
| France | 31 | 15.7 | EUR | 44 EUR |
| Germany | 342 | 15.7 | EUR | 44 EUR |
| Hong Kong | 590 | 15.7 | HKD | 402 HKD |
| Italy | 286 | 15.7 | EUR | 44 EUR |
| Luxembourg | 212 | 15.7 | EUR | 44 EUR |
| Netherlands | 253 | 15.7 | EUR | 44 EUR |
| Singapore | 483 | 15.7 | SGD | 60 SGD |
| Switzerland | 902) | 15.7 | CHF | 40 CHF |
| United Kingdom (UK) | 176 | 15.7 | GBP | 38 GBP |
Sources:
1) Electricity Maps – Consumption, 12 months average, reference date: Mai 2026, annually updated
2) VSE– Association of Swiss Electricity Companies
3) BAFU – Federal Environment Agency
4) Oanda – Currency converter, reference date: May 2026, annually updated
What are the different power mixes?
For Switzerland: Electricity produced in Switzerland has low emissions because very little of it is generated using fossil fuels. However, the electricity consumed in Switzerland has higher emissions because the carbon emissions of imported power need to be taken into account. This means that carbon emissions are higher for consumed power than for generated power. The figures for the various power mixes in Switzerland are published on the website of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). You can find more information here.
Similarly, in all other markets, electricity produced is distinguished from electricity consumed (see information on «Electricity-Maps»).
How is my power consumption calculated?
The amount of energy consumed by your appliance is a theoretical average value and depends on the product category. For example, the figure for a washing machine (135 kWh/year) refers to 220 wash cycles per year with varying loads. For a dryer (183 kWh/year) it refers to 160 cycles and for a dishwasher (201 kWh/year), 280 cycles. A refrigerator (189 kWh/year) is assumed to be running continuously as it is always switched on, and for an oven (115 kWh/year) or steamer (74 kWh/year) the cooking times vary (100 uses lasting 40–45 minutes). For hobs (591 kWh/year) and range hoods (53 kWh/year), consumption depends on a combination of the duration and intensity of usage. The figures given are average values. They depend greatly on individual usage and your actual consumption will differ from the average.
What is a ‘best-in-class’ appliance?
If you have purchased a washing machine, dryer or dishwasher with a heat pump (V6000 model), you can select the ‘best-in-class’ option. These appliances are far below average in terms of energy and water consumption. In all other categories the difference between individual appliances is heavily dependent on usage and product design (especially in the case of refrigerators). The ‘best-in-class’ option is not therefore offered for these categories. Best-in-class values: washing machine (100 kWh/year), dryer (141 kWh/year), dishwasher (134 kWh/year).
Apart from the climate contribution, what can I do to contribute to climate protection?
The most sustainable and climate-neutral kilowatt hour of electricity is the one that is not consumed at all. The ecological use of the equipment has the greatest impact. We are happy to provide you with useful tips and tricks for the environmentally friendly use of household appliances. Read more here.
You can also consciously purchase renewable electricity and support the energy transition (contact your local energy supplier) or produce electricity yourself, e.g. with your own photovoltaic system.
How is the price calculated and what happens to the money I pay for the climate contribution?
For your contribution to the V-Forest, you will be charged CHF 40 per tonne of CO₂ (to be converted into the local currency using the current exchange rate, updated annually). The “right” price for a tonne of CO₂ is a much-discussed value and an important political discourse. In order to make decisive progress in climate protection, putting a fair price on emissions is a promising approach and an urgent necessity. To some extent, this is already the case today.
For example, the current Swiss CO₂ law (levy on fuels, CHF 120/tCO₂) and the European Emissions Trading System (EU ETS, market price varies, EUR 80–100/tCO₂ (as at September 2023)).
The money you pay for the climate contribution during the use phase goes to the Ripa Gar Foundation (minus a customary management fee of 5%), which invests the funds earmarked for other climate protection projects.
What does the climate contribution consist of?
It will take a while before the CO₂ certificates from V-Forest can be used directly for the climate contribution. The trees have to grow more in order to be able to absorb the corresponding amount of CO₂. During this transitional phase, Ripa Gar is supporting an additional reforestation project in India, making an additional climate contribution per tonne of CO₂ in addition to V-Forest. The project is certified according to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and listed on the UN Carbon Offset Platform. The corresponding CO₂ volume has already been realised. This commitment effectively makes a twofold contribution to climate action.
What is the Ripa Gar Foundation?
Aim (excerpt from register of foundations): The aim of the foundation is to protect the natural environment through the support and implementation of rewilding projects, particularly the rewilding of Glen Lochay in Perthshire, Scotland, UK and any other areas with the objective of restoring these areas to their natural and original wild state, in which nature keeps itself in balance.
Over time, the objective is to minimise human intervention in these areas and limit them to creating the necessary conditions for nature to overcome the impacts of today’s reduced biodiversity and overexploitation. One important way in which this can be achieved is through reforestation projects using native trees and shrubs, projects to preserve and protect endangered native plant and animal species, and projects to encourage the return of endangered native fauna.
The aim of the foundation may also include the support of scientific involvement in rewilding projects and the publication and dissemination of scientific findings. The foundation operates in Switzerland and other countries. It may acquire land in Switzerland and other countries. Land may be acquired directly or indirectly. The foundation has no commercial objective and operates on a not-for-profit basis.