Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israeli and US attacks that began on February 28, cutting off critical energy supplies to Asia. Several countries in the region have taken action: Thailand's government has urged authorities to raise air-conditioning temperatures to save energy. Sri Lanka has made Wednesdays a public holiday and introduced fuel rationing, according to the BBC. Several countries have urged employees to work from home to reduce their commute.
Rationing in Sweden
The global supply of energy is decreasing, and this could affect Sweden, says Månberger.
First of all, prices will rise, but supply will also be reduced. If this continues for a long time, there will be a reduced amount of energy.
Fuel rationing may become a possibility if the crisis continues, he says.
There are many reasons why rationing is introduced - you don't want people to start hoarding fuel, for example. People start acting in ways in crises like this that make the consequences worse.
At the moment, there is no shortage of oil and fuel in Sweden, according to the Swedish Energy Agency.
"This may change in the future as it is only in April that missing deliveries from the region can be noticed on the European market," writes the authority's press officer, Ola Westberg, to TT.
Crisis meeting in Brussels
A letter from Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen urges EU countries to consider measures to voluntarily reduce energy demand “especially in the transport sector”.
In plain language, this could mean calls for citizens to fly and travel less, reports the news site Politico Europe.
The letter comes ahead of an extraordinary digital meeting of EU energy ministers this afternoon. New support measures are also expected from the European Commission, possibly as early as Wednesday.
If Sweden were to act, Pär Holmberg, a doctor of technology in electrical power engineering and a researcher at the Institute for Business Research, hopes the measures will not involve lowering taxes or introducing price caps, as this could lead to increased energy consumption.
"I think the solution is to find ways to reduce consumption, and I hope that the EU also thinks along those lines," Holmberg says.
