Energy conservation has recently become not just a concern for industrial zones, office buildings and state administrative units but also for households.

Huynh Kim Tuoc, from the Ho Chi Minh City Energy Conservation Center (ECC) said that Vietnamese households account for 35-75 percent of the total electrical consumption among which Ho Chi Minh City uses 36 percent. At present, there are no regulations on energy use in households, therefore energy conservation depends on people's personal choice. Every year, Ho Chi Minh City households spend VND5.2 trillion on electricity. If every household cut its electricity use by 10 percent, huge sums of money could be saved. 

Solar energy products in an exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City authorities are appealing to every person and household to take part in its energy conservation campaign. On March 27, the ECC worked with the Ho Chi Minh City Women's Union to call upon 10,000 households to conserve energy as a part of the Earth Hour program.

This is the largest-scale energy conservation program yet organized at a provincial level. Up until now thanks to the great effort of 24 women's unions at the district level, 87,000 households have registered to cut nine percent of their electricity use in 2010. Women have been targeted as a central part of the campaign because they are mainly responsible for managing family finances, educating children and using electrical appliances such as televisions, freezers, washing machines, electric cookers and microwave ovens.

Another popular and effective method to save energy in Ho Chi Minh City is using solar energy instead of electricity. Ho Chi Minh City authorities are providing every household with VND1 million to adopt solar energy.

In addition, the ECC has issued a household energy conservation handbook with the purpose of raising the people's awareness about electricity saving. According to Tuoc, the handbook plays a very significant role in helping households use electricity more effectively. The handbook also lists the categories of choosing, arranging, using and maintaining nearly 20 household appliances which play an important role in energy conservation. Thanks to the guidebook, devices can be chosen based on their utility factoring in cost and energy use. As a practical point, local people will engage in activities such as energy conservation commitments. These activities have made a huge contribution to guaranteeing national energy security and building a stably developed country.

By Le Anh