Ho Chi Minh City has seen daily electricity consumption set four new records in less than one month due to extreme weather, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation (EVN HCMC).

Bui Trung Kien, deputy head of EVN HCMC, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the city experienced scorching temperatures, sending power consumption soaring in late April and early May.

The city consumed over 93.53 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity on April 21, the highest daily power consumption level.

On April 25, the electricity consumption reached a new high of 93.57 milllion kWh, while over 94.43 million kWh of electricity was consumed in the city on May 5.

Then, it set a new record in power consumption at 94.8 million kWh on May 6. 

Searing heat in the city pushed up demand for air conditioning and electric fans, resulting in an upsurge in power consumption, according to an EVN HCMC representative.

The power consumption of air conditioning might increase 1.5-3 percent after temperature gets one degree Celsius hotter, Kien said.

Quan, who resides in Ward 22 of Binh Thanh District, said that his monthly power bills in the first three months of the year ranged from VND2.5 (US$106) to VND2.6 million ($110), but the bill soared to VND6 million ($255.1) in April.

“My friends said that their April power bills were double those in the previous months,” Quan said.

Similarly, Nam, a native of Tan Binh District, also complained about the sky-high power bill in April.

Dang Nguyen Phuong, head of the sales division at Southern Power Corporation, said that electricity consumption in 21 provinces and cities of the southern region is on the rise, posing the risk of a power crunch.

In April, the region consumed over 7.7 billion kWh of electricity, up 8.92 percent month on month.

On April 7 alone, the region’s power consumption totaled more than 269 million kWh.

Tips for saving electricity, protecting health

Kien from EVN HCMC advised residents to use power suitably, regularly clean electric devices, install condensing units, and select standard electric equipment to save electricity.

Residents should create green space in their houses to reduce heat and create fresh air, according to the Southern Power Corporation.

In addition, houses should be equipped with curtains to limit sun exposure to protect residents’ health.

Enhanced efforts in electricity supply

Vo Quang Lam, deputy general director of Vietnam’s state utility EVN, said that in early May, the northern and central regions saw temperatures soar to record highs. 

Temperature measured in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam on May 7 set a national record of 44.2 degrees Celsius, exceeding the 44.1 degrees Celsius recorded just a day earlier in neighboring Thanh Hoa Province, according to the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.

As such, the demand for electricity in the country skyrocketed. Specifically, on May 6, the nation consumed over 985 million kWh of energy, the highest ever, up 12.3 percent year on year.

EVN said that 11 of 47 reservoirs, with a total energy generation capacity of 4,500 megawatts, are approaching the minimum allowable water level.

To guarantee power supply, the National Load Dispatch Center has mobilized some oil-fired generators since April 17.

EVN is stepping up efforts to fuel power generation by stockpiling materials, ramping up operation and repair work, and ensuring the safety of the energy system, said Lam.

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