This decisive move aims to realize electricity-saving targets in line with directives from the Prime Minister and the HCMC People’s Committee to strengthen measures ensuring a safe and stable power supply during the dry season, the peak heatwave period of 2026, and the 2027–2030 phase.
On-the-ground observations along central thoroughfares such as Le Loi, Nguyen Hue, Le Thanh Ton, Pasteur, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, and routes leading to Tan Son Nhat Airport showed that most large-scale billboards and advertising lighting systems had been turned off.
In parallel, Ho Chi Minh City Power Corporation (EVNHCMC) has instructed its affiliated units to deploy nighttime inspection teams, directly encouraging customers to switch off or scale down lighting systems after 10 p.m. The campaign is being rolled out coordinatedly from April 1 through the end of June 2026, focusing on areas with a high density of advertising as well as major commercial and service corridors.
Notably, the spirit of electricity conservation is gradually shifting from administrative mobilization to voluntary compliance within the business community. Many business owners, shopping malls, and companies operating in the advertising sector have proactively adjusted billboard operating hours to end at 10 p.m. daily.
Underscoring the importance of the campaign, Mr. Bui Trung Kien, Deputy General Director of EVNHCMC, stressed that amid rising electricity demand during the dry season, energy conservation is no longer optional but a mandatory requirement to ensure the safe and stable operation of the power system. Measures such as turning off advertising lighting and cutting non-essential loads will directly ease pressure on the city’s electricity supply.
The city has also directed the synchronized implementation of additional measures, including requiring administrative agencies to set air conditioner temperatures at 26 degrees Celsius or higher, reducing lighting capacity by at least 50 percent in corridors and parking areas, and encouraging households to switch off appliances when not in use.
In the first quarter of 2026, the city saved 327.4 million kWh of electricity, equivalent to 2.45 percent of total commercial power consumption.
