HCM CITY — HCM City’s energy-saving programme in 2016–20 has achieved significant success and is being promoted across the country.

The numbers of households and businesses saving electricity in the city has gone up from 521,520 in 2016 to 729,097, according to the steering committee for power saving and safety.

The power saved by households and enterprises increased from 340 million kWh in 2016 to 459.02 million kWh in 2017, and the savings from this rose from VNĐ640 billion to VNĐ860 billion.

The programme helped reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 322,083 tonnes last year.

According to the deputy director of the city Department of Trade and Industry, Nguyễn Phương Đông, the programme has significantly contributed to the city’s socio-economic development and reduced pollution.

Mass organisations have measures to mobilise their members to join the programme, he said.

The HCM City Women’s Union has mobilised all its members and persuaded them to reduce their home energy use. Mai Thị Thuỷ Hoa of one of the top 24 families in terms of saving electricity said: “It is not difficult to save electricity in your household. It requires members of families to change their awareness and practice of using electrical equipment.”

The practice has helped her family save VNĐ200,000 a month in electricity tariffs.

For the last 10 years HCM City’s Youth League has been organising the “Earth Hour” in March. The annual events have helped enhance people’s awareness of environmental protection.

According to Tô Thị Bích Châu, Chairwoman of the HCM City Fatherland Front, for the last several years the Fatherland Front has been organising campaigns to guide people on how to use electrical equipment safely and economically.

In Tân Bình District, the Fatherland Front has persuaded more than 550 guesthouses to turn into “Electricity Power Saving, Fair-Priced Guesthouses”.

The Department of Education and Training has collaborated with Electricity of Vietnam to organise activities for students to learn about power saving and safety.

With the power sector expected to have difficulty meeting demand, the steering committee has announced plans to enhance propaganda on power saving and to promote renewable energy, including solar.

Saving electricity must be considered a daily routine for everybody, according to the electricity power sector. — VNS