Prepare for crisis

Without electricity, routine life becomes difficult

Our society is vulnerable, not least because we need electricity for so many things. For example, electricity can be knocked out by cyber attacks, floods, forest fires and military conflicts. Very quickly, routine life can become difficult:

• Heating stops working.
• It becomes difficult to cook and store food.
• Shops may run out of food and other items.
• There is no water coming out of the tap or in the toilet.
• You can't refuel or recharge your car.
• Payment cards and ATMs don't work.
• Mobile phone networks and the internet are down.
• Public transport and other forms of transport are at a standstill.
• Medicines and medical equipment are in short supply.

It's hard to imagine cities in darkness, homes freezing, food spoiling and major difficulties getting information about what's happening because the internet is down.

If you take a few minutes to think about how a prolonged power cut would affect you and your neighbourhood, you will already be mentally prepared.

Sweden has a robust electricity supply, but the consequences of a temporarily strained electricity grid are so serious that society needs to be prepared to cope with such a situation. This also applies to you as a private individual. There are a lot of things you can do to cope with routine life without electricity, or with less electricity than usual.

Society's responsibilities and plans

Government agencies, regional authorities, municipalities, the private sector and non-profit organisations are responsible for maintaining the functioning of society. Your municipality is the most local entity and is responsible for ensuring that services such as elder care, water supply, emergency services, and schools continue to function – even in the event of a societal crisis. The municipality can also inform you about local threats and risks. For example, the risk of landslides or flooding, or local hazardous industries. You can always contact your municipality if you have any questions.

The SKR website provides addresses and phone numbers for all municipalities.