By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
Knowledge Economy Minister Choi Kyung-hwan urged people to lower their heaters and take stairwells Tuesday, warning that a blackout is possible should a large power plant suffer problems due to the recent uptick in power demand.
The unusually cold temperatures have fueled electricity usage over the past four days, sending the meter up to a record 68.6 million kilowatts last Friday morning, 5.3 million more than the highest amount used last summer, according to government data.
The surge in power demand is fanning concerns that the nation's power reserve capacity will fall to dangerous levels, so Minister Choi stepped in to promote a nationwide energy saving campaign.
"We can't continue to use power at this rate," he told a televised press conference, on a day when the mercury in Seoul fell to a low of minus 12 degrees Celsius. "Excessive power usage is a national waste."
Choi said a critical moment may come next week, when the country's weather agency predicts that another cold spell is headed toward the peninsula.
"Unless people roll back their electricity use, demand could break the 70-million-kilowatt mark and cause the reserve rate to dip below 4 million kilowatts," the senior policymaker said, stressing that such situation would be deemed an "emergency."
Power companies say at least 6 million kilowatts of reserves are needed to ensure emergency backup to cover for sudden problems in power generation.
Choi explained that the government is moving to increase the supply by 627,000 kilowatts by putting to work three power plants currently undergoing trials and cutting back consumption by 1.2 million kilowatts by managing the nation's electric power load system.
Reports show that for every drop in temperature of one degree Celsius, the country's power consumption goes up by 409,000 kilowatts.
He said the public sector will do its part to save energy, but advised ordinary citizens to do so as well.
The minister called on businesses, department stores and hotels to lower their temperatures and encouraged citizens to make changes in their everyday lives.
He called on people to cut back power usage during the peak hours of 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.; keep indoor temperatures steady at below 20 degrees Celsius; unplug home appliances not in use; turn off lights during the day; and take the staircase instead of the elevator.