Power cuts

Prepare for a power cut

If you know a storm is coming, there are certain things you can do:

• Charge your power bank and other electronic devices in advance.
• Make sure you have fuel in your tank or that your electric car battery is charged.
• Find out where the nearest fire station is. Power cuts can lead to phone service disruptions and make it difficult to reach 112. The fire station can help you call for help.
• Prepare by looking up information on your municipality’s website about how the municipality handles crises.

During a power cut

• Check whether any fuses or earth leakage circuit breakers have tripped in your fuse box. If your neighbours are also without power, it may be due to a wider power cut. In that case, contact your electricity supplier for information about the outage.
• Listen to Sveriges Radio P4. Use your car radio if you do not have access to another radio.
• Fill containers or bottles from the tap if the power cut has lasted more than an hour. Allow for a couple of litres per family member.
• If it gets cold in your home, choose a room where the family can gather. Lay extra rugs on the floor and build a den out of furniture, blankets and mattresses to keep warm. Seal any gaps around windows and doors. Cook on a camping stove or barbecue if the oven and stove are not working.

After a power cut

• Do not switch on all your electrical appliances and heating at once. If many households use a lot of electricity when the power comes back on, the electricity grid will be overloaded. This can cause an imbalance in the entire system and lead to another power cut.
• Never attempt to rectify a power cut yourself by opening or tampering with electrical equipment, as the power may return at any time without warning. If this happens, the electrical equipment will be live and therefore life-threatening.
• Check that nothing is switched on that could be dangerous, such as a stove or an iron.