There is an increasing chance that households will have to be temporarily disconnected from the electricity grid several times during the winter. During those times, people should stay in tents or makeshift "huts" in one room, recommendations say.

There is a real risk that households will be without electricity for some time next winter, as energy shortages are forecast to worsen in the coming months, Swedish energy company Svenska Kraftnat says.

Sweden usually imports electricity on days when domestic electricity production is insufficient to meet consumption. This, however, will not be possible in the near future, as Europe is desperate to cut off Russian energy supplies and nuclear power plants are being shut down, creating an unprecedented shortage of energy in most countries. This implies that Sweden may not be able to get the electricity to even out drops in domestic production.

It has never been necessary to disconnect households from the grid before in Sweden. Since 2011, however, there has been a contingency plan in place for such cases, which specifies where the power should be cut off first and where it should remain uninterrupted as long as possible. Hospitals and residential health care facilities will be given priority, while households in southern Sweden will be among the first to be left without electricity for a period of time, should it become necessary.

Svenska kraftnäts generaldirektör Lotta Medelius-Bredhe tror inte att ny kärnkraft kommer på plats snabbare än ny vindkraft.https://t.co/LjYfegkBKx

— Dagens industri (@dagensindustri) September 9, 2022

Hundreds of thousands of households could lose power for several hours, Svenska Kraftnat warns. If a prolonged shutdown is required, the regions will be cut off in turns.

The recommendations for this scenario are the same as those made earlier. The family should gather in one room so that only that room is kept warm. People living alone are recommended to designate an emergency room where they can maintain room temperature. The windows and doors of that room should be insulated. A tent could also be set up in the emergency room, or a makeshift „hut” could be built, under the table for example, which can be covered with blankets for the night in a bid to minimise the amount of space to keep warm, the recommendations read.

Power cuts lasting for hours can be avoided according to Svenska Kraftnat’s calculations, but this would require consumers to significantly reduce their electricity consumption during the morning and evening peak hours, when people are usually at home. Other recommendations include avoiding cooking and eating canned or other foods that are easy to heat, and storing food outdoors rather than in the fridge. It is also recommended to keep candles, matches, batteries and flashlights at home.

The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) has also made recommendations for a possible emergency. The agency says it may be worth checking the areas where the power is still on and stay at friends or relatives living there.