Ho Chi Minh City has saved 10.23 million kWh of electricity since May 16, or nearly 1.14 million kWh worth VND2.4 billion (US$102,204) per day, Nguyen Phu Vinh from Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation said on Thursday.

Ho Chi Minh City consumed an average of over 86 kWh of electricity per day from May 1 to 20, up 9.47 percent year on year, Vinh told a press briefing to discuss the city’s socio-economy.

The city set a new record in power consumption at 94.85 million kWh on May 6. 

Hydropower reservoirs currently have low water levels due to the scorching weather, said Dinh The Phuc, a member of the members’ council of the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN), adding that coal-, oil- and gas-fired power plants have seen their capacity reduced due to a shortage of materials.

As a result, EVN has employed many urgent solutions to mobilize the available power resources and proposed the Ministry of Industry and Trade remove difficulties and mobilize more power resources.

Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation called on its customers to adopt power saving measures, such as cutting power sources when not using electrical devices, setting air conditioners at 26 degrees Celsius or above, and reducing lights in public areas, parking lots, and corridors in apartment buildings.

The municipal Department of Industry and Trade had earlier asked Thu Duc City and districts in the city to enhance the power saving.

In particular, lighting systems along streets will be turned on 30 minutes later and turned off 30 minutes earlier than normal.

The city has also turned off half of the lights on those streets with low traffic after 10:00 pm.

Half of the advertising lights and all decorative lights have also been switched off after 10:00 pm.

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