Last week, electricity use in Sweden was 12 percent higher than the corresponding week last year, according to the Swedish Energy Companies' weekly figures.
So far this year, the increase is 6 percent compared to the first six weeks of last year.
Electricity production is also increasing, by about the same amount in percentage terms. Hydropower and nuclear power are mainly responsible for this increase, while wind power has had a worse start to the year.
Combined with low precipitation, the water reservoirs are running low and are now slightly below normal. And things are looking much worse ahead. The so-called hydrological balance, which also includes all snow and water in nature, has "deteriorated significantly," according to the Swedish Energy Agency.
This points to increased electricity prices throughout the spring, according to analysts.
