HCMC power demand may break records this summer

Bui Trung Kien, general vice director of the Ho Chi Minh City Power Company (EVNHCMC), said that on the most power-demanding day in the city last year, energy consumption reached 90.4 million kWh. But this record was broken on March 26, with energy consumption reaching 92.46 million kWh.

The new energy consumption record was reached during an intense heat wave that pushed average temperatures 1-1.5 degrees Celsius higher than last year. The heat was attributed to the impacts of El Nino.

"Electricity bills for this March may be more expensive than in previous months," Kien said.

May and April are also the dry season in HCMC, when sunlight is intense, and temperatures may reach 37-40 degrees in several areas. Experts have predicted that this will lead to heightened energy demands, mainly due to higher use of air conditioners.

In the first quarter, energy consumption in HCMC reached 6.9 billion kWh, a 9.45% increase from the same period last year. On average, every day the city consumed around 78.13 million kWh worth of electricity, an increase of 12.02% from the same period last year.

The city’s electric grid is capable enough to satisfy any level of power demand, according to EVNHCMC. However, local power outages may still happen due to spikes in energy demand at specific points in time. As such, EVNHCMC recommends people and businesses employ power saving measures.