Cities are turning off lights to save electricity.

Lighting and decorative lights at the headquarters of agencies around Ho Guom Lake ( Hanoi ), the Hai Phong Opera House, and the Dragon Bridge (Da Nang) are all being reduced to a minimum.

At 7 PM on June 1st, streetlights on central Hanoi streets began to turn on, 30 minutes later than usual. All decorative and advertising lights mounted on lampposts were switched off. Some streets, like Le Van Luong, had all streetlights turned off, only illuminating intersections. On four-lane roads like Pham Van Dong and Vo Van Kiet, one-third of the lights were switched off from early evening, and the remaining one-third were switched off after 11 PM.

Around Ho Guom Lake, for every 3-4 streetlights that are lit, one is off. The lighting system for the gardens, sidewalks, and around the lake is almost completely off, providing just enough light for safety and security. Nearby offices, such as the City Party Committee and the City People's Committee, only have security lights on, with all decorative lights turned off. The EVN Hanoi headquarters is completely dark, with only the hotline staff's area still lit.

The intersection of Hang Khay - Trang Tien - Dinh Tien Hoang - Hang Bai streets at 8:45 PM on June 1st. Photo: Ngoc Thanh

According to the Hanoi People's Committee, the public lighting system in 12 districts and the national and provincial roads of 17 districts and towns has approximately 230,000 lights, of which energy-saving LED lights account for just over 11%. The total power consumption of the public lighting system is approximately 30,000 kWh.

Amid electricity shortages, Hanoi began reducing the use of streetlights and decorative lights from the end of May. The goal is to reduce the power of public lighting systems by 50% compared to the same period last year; turn lights on 30 minutes later and off 30 minutes earlier; reduce the power of advertising lights by 50% before 10 PM, and turn them all off after 10 PM. Lights in parks and gardens are only allowed to operate at no more than 50% capacity and are completely switched off after 11 PM.

Similarly, Hai Phong City is also reducing lighting. On the evening of June 1st, the area around the city's Grand Theater, normally brightly lit, was plunged into darkness. Four high-powered floodlights in the square and all decorative lights were switched off. "The lights at the Grand Theater were switched off three days ago, during the peak of the heatwave," said Phan Hang, whose house is 300 meters away.

The Hai Phong City People's Committee headquarters, the Central Post Office , the Museum, and the Hoang Van Thu Bridge are normally illuminated with decorative lights from 6:45 PM to 10:30 PM, but for the past three days, all lights have been turned off. According to the leaders of Hai Phong Lighting Joint Stock Company, the temporary power outage for decorative lights during the peak of the hot weather is to save electricity. In addition, some streets will also have their lights turned off from 10:30 PM to achieve the goal of saving 30-50% of electricity.

The area around the Hai Phong City Grand Theatre experienced a power outage on the evening of June 1st. Photo: Le Tan

In Quang Ninh , the Public Service Management Board has implemented rotational reductions in streetlights on some routes and readjusted lighting schedules to suit the summer season. Restaurants, hotels, commercial establishments, office complexes, and apartment buildings have reduced the power of outdoor advertising and decorative lighting by 50%.

Mr. Le Trong Thanh, Deputy General Director of Tung Lam Yen Tu Development Joint Stock Company, said that the company has reduced the public lighting system by half, using motion-sensing lights that only turn on when someone is present. Tourists are advised to set the air conditioner in their rooms to 26 degrees Celsius or higher. "The money saved from electricity will be used to reward employees, so everyone is conscious of this," Mr. Thanh said.

Since the end of May, Da Nang City Chairman Le Trung Chinh has ordered a 100% shutdown of decorative and advertising lighting from 8 PM onwards. During the same time, restaurants, hotels, commercial service establishments, office complexes, and apartment buildings are required to reduce outdoor advertising and decorative lighting by 50%. The goal is to save at least 30% of total electricity consumption in public lighting.

The decision to switch off decorative lights, despite the city being in its peak tourist season and hosting the International Fireworks Festival, was due to the impact of unusually hot weather, resulting in a surge in electricity demand in late April and early May. Average daily electricity production reached over 9.3 million kWh, with peak production exceeding 10.6 million kWh (an increase of over 17.5% compared to the same period in 2022).

The area on both sides of the Han River swing bridge before and after the lights were turned off was decorated. Photo: Nguyen Dong.

According to VnExpress 's observations on the evening of June 1st, most hotels, restaurants, office complexes, and apartment buildings along the Han River had switched off most of their outdoor advertising and decorative lighting. The Dragon Bridge, Tran Thi Ly Bridge, Han River Swing Bridge, and Thuan Phuoc Bridge also switched off all decorative lights from 10 PM onwards.

Ms. Tran Thi Be, Director of the Pariat Hotel on Bach Dang Street, Hai Chau District, said that before the city's policy was implemented, the hotel had already implemented electricity saving measures for the past two months. "We replaced all regular light bulbs with LED lights, and during peak hours, we set up notifications to remind staff to turn off all unnecessary electrical devices like lights. Staff who want to use the elevator have to wait for each other to ride together," Ms. Be said.

During peak evening hours, the hotel only turned on one advertising light instead of three as before. The check-in area and dining room, which already had air conditioning on, were also de-aired and the doors closed to maintain coolness. Decorative lights outside were also only left on in a few necessary areas to ensure adequate lighting along the Han River. Ms. Be stated that thanks to proactive electricity saving measures, the hotel only paid just over 60 million VND in electricity bills in May, saving nearly 40 million VND compared to previous months.

Bach Dang Street after hotels and buildings turned off their lights for decoration on the evening of June 1st. Photo: Nguyen Dong

According to forecasts from the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN), operating the power system during the peak hot months (from May to July) will be very difficult. The power system in the North faces a shortage of approximately 1,600-4,900 MW. This is due to prolonged drought and water shortages, which have reduced water flow into hydropower reservoirs. The capacity and output of wind power plants have also significantly decreased due to weak winds.

Meanwhile, the national power grid's total load on May 19th was nearly 924 million kWh, the highest level since the beginning of the year and a 10.5% increase compared to the same period last year. Peak power consumption reached 44,600 MW, the highest in history and an 8.5% increase compared to the same period last year. Therefore, the Ministry of Industry and Trade requested ministries and agencies to use electricity economically and efficiently; and to raise awareness among people, businesses, and the community about electricity conservation.

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