BackStories » Saigon » Saigon's Energy Usage Reaches 10-Year High Due to Unprecedented Heat

After two years of relative consistency, unceasing sunlight in 2019 and subsequent household energy use have led to an 8.3% increase in energy prices since March 20.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation (EVN HCMC), on April 24, the city used 90.04 million kWh, a 10-year high that was 2.5 times higher than February 6, the day that experienced the lowest consumption this year so far. Experts expect total use for the month of April to have hit 2.5 billion kWh, the highest in a decade. 

The heat wave that struck Vietnam earlier this month set records across the nation with temperatures soaring far earlier than usual. Along with the sweltering temperatures, the UV index has hit "very high" which poses health risks including skin damage, aging and cancer. Local hospitals report admitting hundreds of children a day who are suffering from digestive and respiratory issues related to overheating.  

People have had to make changes to their daily behavior in response. While still forced to work, many in the construction sector are beginning their days earlier, drinking more water and bringing meals from home to avoid having to leave the shaded rest areas on their job sites. Wearing even more protective layers than usual, motorbike drivers can be seen waiting under bridges meters away from red lights for some temporary relief.

If weather patterns adhere to historic norms, relief could come at the end of May when the rainy season arrives. 


Related Articles:

Vietnam Breaks All-Time High-Temperature Record as Heat Bakes Nation

Vietnam's Energy Consumption to Double in 10 Years

Scorched Earth: Southeast Asia's Unprecedented Heat Wave


Related Articles

in Saigon

$100,000 Diamond Allegedly Vanishes From Woman’s Finger In HCMC Hotel

A Hanoi woman claims that she was drugged at a HCMC hotel last weekend and awoke to find that a $100,000 diamond had been pried from her ring.

in Saigon

100,000 Workers at Saigon Industrial Zones to Get Free WiFi by 2019

Workers at Saigon’s industrial zones can look forward to free WiFi access in the near future thanks to a new program.

in Saigon

100-Year-Old Trees In Front Of Opera House Cut Down To Make Way For Metro

Flower Street and the statues in front of Bến Thành Market aren’t the only sacrifices being made to accommodate the construction of Saigon’s first metro line.

in Saigon

122-Year-Old Saigon Woman Confirmed As World’s Oldest

The World Records Association (WRA) has completed the verification process and officially confirmed Saigon’s 122-year-old Nguyen Thi Tru, as the world’s oldest woman.

in Saigon

160 Wood Benches Being Added To Nguyen Hue Street

The trees that were cut down last July during construction of the metro station in front of the Saigon Opera House are making a comeback in the form of benches.

in Saigon

2 Foreigners Arrested for iPhone Snatching

In a reminder that crime transcends race, 2 foreigners were arrested last Friday for stealing an iPhone from a local woman in District 1. The 2 thieves were identified as Sean Douglas, 17, an Austral...

Partner Content