According to data from the Provincial Department of Trade and Industry, the total amount of power saved by the province in 2014 reached 44,333,546 kWh, equivalent to VND61 billion. This figure does not take into account the savings from lighting dragon fruit gardens by households who switched into using compact bulbs, already it attained nearly 127% of the plan.

In fact, in the current condition there is no shortage of electricity in Binh Thuan. On the contrary, there is a tendency of formation of an energy production center to supply power to the national grid thanks to the availability of resources of hydro-power, thermal power, and wind power. But the issue of economical use of electricity has always been a concern of local authority and functional departments, because the province is consuming quite huge power and having high growth rates.

Moreover, the communication boost to businesses, organizations and individuals to implement the solutions actively to use power with efficiency has gradually become a helpful movement. Thereby, it joins efforts with the sector to contribute to stable power supply for domestic demand, production - businesses, while minimizing the brown outs, the power supplies reduction locally.

Over the past time, it can be seen that Binh Thuan has been actively seeking for solutions to diversify the forms in directive, executive, and coordinative operation, to bring about effectiveness in power-saving practices. For example, the Provincial Department of Trade and Industry advised the Provincial People's Committee and worked with the related units to run the Program of Supports to dragon fruit farmers  to replace incandescent bulbs with energy saving compact bulbs.

For a timely collaboration with Power Company of Binh Thuan Province, the provincial Youth Union conducted electrical safety training for hundreds of union members and youth program participants. Through the workshops for farmers' association, the power sector also handed out 34,000 brochures about the program and 25,000 general information registration forms for replacement of power economical bulbs among dragon fruit producing community. To date, over 170 households have registered for replacement of nearly 77,000 bulbs. This program continues to receive the positive response and empathy from the people.

In recent years,  the work for power saving is usually deployed in the peak months of the dry season in Binh Thuan province. But right now, the Earth Hour 2015 campaign with the theme "Energy saving - Responding to Climate Change" (taking place in the evening of March 28) will also be positively highlighted and responded.

It is well known that the Earth Hour last year had the message "Take action to make the Earth greener", Binh Thuan in its participation, achieved a reduced power output of 24,320 kWh. As the power savings practice comes in depth, it becomes a habit and practical action, it requires the local communication propagation to be further strengthened. Especially in 2015, according to forecasts of Binh Thuan Power Company, the load demand for lighting the dragon fruit in the province continues to rise, therefore, power-saving solutions should be considered to help ensure the stable power supply to serve the socio-economic development in the province.

Do Trong Tan