More and more people are stealing food, especially meat, from stores in Sweden due to inflation and the rising costs of living. In the meantime, the national electricity provider's "climate trainer" is encouraging Swedes to make home improvements in order to use less energy.

Swedish food retailers have sounded the alarm, because the number of food thefts, especially of meat products, has recently surged across the country due to inflation and the continued rise in the cost of living. As they say, the growing trend can be observed especially in the case of meat products. Andreas Selsborg, the store manager of the Willys grocery store in Uppsala, said that thefts have increased over the past year, and goods are being taken off the shelves almost daily.

„One of the things we noticed in late fall is that there was a shift. People are no longer stealing things like razors, but instead, they are stealing meat,”

Gustav Johansson, a trader at the ICA grocery store, told SVT television, adding that this does not only apply to expensive meats, but to all kinds of meat products. In fact, people are stealing other foods as well, he said.

„A week ago we caught a thief who took three cartons of ordinary butter, which means more than a hundred packages. After all, this has also become expensive,” the trader pointed out.

To prevent thefts, some food stores have placed beepers on meat products, while others have decided to sell expensive meat only from the deli counter. Other stores employ both uniformed and plainclothes security guards to curb shop-lifting and have introduced regulations requiring customers to present their receipt before leaving the store.

Swedes have been compelled by the rising costs of living to tighten their belts, and soaring energy prices are also forcing them to save. Describing himself as a „climate coach”, an employee of the state-owned Vattenfall power company has offered some tips on reducing energy consumption.

Lars Ejeklint advises Swedes to lower indoor temperature and wear several layers of clothes in their homes as the most efficient way to use less electricity. Vacuum-cleaning less frequently, washing clothes less often and at lower temperatures, and skipping or at least reducing the duration of showers also save a lot of energy, as does making fewer toasts or roasted meat at home, he said.

However, upgrading homes, insulating windows and walls, switching to water-saving faucets, installing solar panels and heat pumps would be the best idea for the Swedes. The question is how to afford all this now, when many are forced to shoplift.