Days after Storm Johannes battered northern Sweden, thousands of households remain without power, violating electricity laws limiting unplanned outages to 24 hours. The Energy Markets Inspectorate slams companies for poor maintenance and demands better preparedness amid new storms.
Following the initial outages from Storm Johannes on December 28—which affected around 40,000 households mainly due to gale-force winds toppling trees onto lines—thousands remain without electricity days later. In Åshammar outside Sandviken, the Camuset Naranjo family has been powerless for four days after a tree severed their line. They've relied on neighbors for gas heaters, generators, and evacuation of pets, including a gecko needing 33°C heat.
Sweden's electricity law since 2011 prohibits unplanned outages exceeding 24 hours, barring uncontrollable events. The Energy Markets Inspectorate (EI) rules that foreseeable storms like Johannes do not qualify. 'Power companies are breaking the law,' says department head Tommy Johansson, urging improved clearing of power line corridors— the top cause of long outages.
EI data reveals recurring issues: 6,450 affected in 2024, 3,800 in 2023, over 53,000 in 2019. Post-storm, Ellevio noted 11,000 customers with outages over a day; Vattenfall, Eon are blasting trees and offering hotels. No fines exist, but compensation rises with duration. Three storm-related deaths have been reported.
Worsening weather looms: SMHI forecasts heavy snow and winds in southern Norrland on New Year's Day, delaying fixes in Gävleborg. 'Poor timing,' says Ellevio's Jonatan Björck.
