Engineers do maintenance work on a power line in Đà Nẵng City. —VNA/VNS Photo Trần Lê Lâm

HÀ NỘI — Nationwide power consumption exceeded one billion kWh on Tuesday this week, a new record in the history of the national energy sector.

According to the State utility group Việt Nam Electricity (EVN), the increasingly hot weather has resulted in a significant surge in power use across all three regions of the country.

The national power grid capacity also reached a record high of 47,670MW at the end of April.

Forecasts noted that this is not yet the peak of the hot season in the northern region, which means power consumption is expected to rise in the near future.

EVN is calling for people to save electricity, especially during the peak hours during the day (11am-3pm) and the evening (7pm-11pm).

The national power supplier noted that people should only turn on air conditioners when necessary, and set the temperature at no lower than 26-27 degrees Celsius.

EVN also advised against using multiple energy-consuming appliances at the same time during peak hours.

These measures are also expected to minimise the risks of electrical faults and costly electricity bills.

A representative of the company said that to ensure the annual power supply per the direction of the Prime Minister (PM), EVN and its subsidiaries have taken comprehensive measures to optimise power system operations and the electricity market, increase electricity imports, accelerate infrastructure development and advocate for saving energy among its customers.

EVN’s National Load Dispatch Centre has also devised different plans to manage the power system and the electricity market, preparing for power supply in different scenarios and making weekly updates on electricity production, load demands and hydrological factors to make adjustments to the power system operations when necessary.

Local power units will coordinate with their People’s Committee to effectively execute energy-saving measures according to the PM’s request.

EVN is also making efforts to hit the deadline for commissioning key power supply and power grid projects, notably the 500 kV power transmission line from Quảng Trạch (central Quảng Bình Province) to Phố Nối (northern Hưng Yên Province). — VNS