Swiss residents who keep their homes above 19 degrees this winter will be fined or jailed because they violated government guidelines due to a lack of gas.

Violators face fines and up to three years in prison. Department of Economics (DEF) spokesman Markus Spurndli told the Blick newspaper.

Violations of a country's supply law are always offenses or even crimes and should be prosecuted by default by the cantons, he explained.

In the case of willful violation of the ordinances, one faces jail time. In other cases, the case could go as far as a fine.