Set KPI for saving and using energy efficiently
New electricity consumption records continuously set right from the end of May show the increasing pressure on the national power system in the context of increasing extreme heat under the impact of climate change. Saving electricity is therefore no longer a temporary solution, but a strategic requirement for the entire economy, especially with the requirement for energy self-sufficiency.
Speaking at the seminar with the theme "Electricity saving peak season: Responsibilities and solutions" on June 22 organized by the Government Electronic Information Portal, Mr. Dang Hai Dung - Deputy Director of the Department of Innovation, Green Transformation and Industrial Promotion (Ministry of Industry and Trade) said that since 2011, Vietnam has set out a strategy and promulgated the Law on Energy Saving and Efficiency for the first time in 2010.
“If in 2010, the first version of the Law on Economical and Efficient Use of Energy mainly encouraged, mobilized and promoted implementation, then by 2025, the amendment of the law has followed the direction of strengthening energy management in production, business and consumption. After the Law on Economical and Efficient Use of Energy, from Resolution 70 to recent directives, all emphasize the requirement to strengthen discipline in energy production, consumption and use.
The Government requires all relevant subjects, from state agencies to businesses, to develop plans, set KPIs and indicators on energy saving and efficiency use as well as energy consumption norms in production. At the same time, in the state sector, the control and management of energy consumption will also be tightened," Mr. Dung said.
In addition, according to Mr. Dang Hai Dung, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is submitting the first draft on the establishment of the Energy Saving and Efficiency Fund. "The goal of the fund is not only technical support but also financial support for businesses to invest in innovation and technology upgrades, ensuring energy saving and efficiency," Mr. Dung said.
Many people still have the mindset "if I earn money, I have the right to waste it
According to Mr. Ha Dang Son, Chairman of the Center for Energy Research and Green Growth, assessed: "Currently, most businesses have a positive awareness and mindset about using electricity economically and efficiently, because this is an issue that directly "hits" businesses' wallets. From there, it affects the costs and profits of businesses.
However, according to Mr. Ha Dang Son, if looking at the consumption and residential block (accounting for about 30% of electricity consumption demand), awareness in this area still has many problems.
The first is the thinking "If I have money, why can't I use it a lot? If I can pay, why can't I use it a lot?", leading to the thinking "if I earn money, I have the right to waste it". They are not aware of the impact and influence.
To some extent, electricity costs are appropriate, but when we use beyond a certain capacity threshold, it will lead to more expensive costs to mobilize equipment in the system, causing very large investment costs.
While those who use electricity wastefully are not yet responsible for the act of causing a major impact on the power system through the price system. Because the current retail electricity price is still a controlled price, usually there is still cross-subsidy and the cost of capacity in it is not reflected.
The second thing related to the thinking "use a lot, then it must be cheap", is the question "why normally other goods use a lot, then they become cheaper, but electricity uses a lot and becomes more expensive?" Many consumers still do not understand the very special characteristics of electricity supply, and then the value of each kW of electricity reduced.
Next, related to investment. Usually, from businesses to people, if there is no deep enough awareness, the first approach is to buy cheap equipment first. However, cheap equipment often has low energy efficiency, or even many incidents during operation.
