Maybe it's seasonal?

[ravencallscrows]

It's a cycle which begins at Samhain, introducing the dark half of the year. By Midwinternight, hibernation has pretty much set in, but there are so many societally dictated things which people must do, there's an external impetus to keep things going then. Get past New Years, and *splat*, the tank is bone dry.
So, now that we're past La Fhéile Bríde, it'll all go better, right?