Due to intense heat waves, the electricity consumption across the country reached a new record of 1.001.9 billion kWh on May 28, surpassing the 1 billion kWh mark for the first time in history.

Vietnam Electricity (EVN), the country's largest power company, said the rumour about Vietnamese authorities urging certain businesses in northern Vietnam to voluntarily reduce electricity usage by 30 per cent is inaccurate.

As nationwide energy consumption reached new records in recent months, experts are discussing whether more stringent actions, in addition to awareness campaigns, should be applied to energy saving.

Experts believe that accelerating the development progress of projects in the energy sector can ensure electricity supply in both the short and long terms.

The Government should increase the exploitation of hydropower in the context of increasing electricity demand as the potential of the resource remains large, experts said.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) plans to ask embassy officials in Vietnam to help clear difficulties in importing equipment for power projects.

The average daily power consumption for the April 15 to 21 week hit over 881 million kWh, up 2.4 million kWh compared to the previous week.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed a public telegram on drastic measures to ensure power supply in dry season in 2024 and coming years.

Because electricity consumption has been at a high level, Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) has proposed a policy encouraging enterprises to operate production during off-peak hours.

The change in reading date for February increases the number of days calculated in the month’s electricity bill, resulting in higher bills.

The national petroleum reserve is now just equal to nine days of net imports, and there is no national reserve of crude oil. The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) has many times proposed raising the reserve to 15 days or 30 days of net imports.

Vietnam anticipates an energy shortfall of up to 2,000MW between 2024 and 2025, as the soaring electricity demand outpaces additions to capacity.

The extreme heat wave in northern Vietnam is intensifying and resulting in a surge in electricity demand and posing a pressing challenge for the power supply sector, according to the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam (ERA).

The northern region is facing the risk of power shortage at almost every point of time each day, according to Tran Viet Hoa, head of the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).