the Japanese urged to reduce their electricity consumption to cope with the heat wave

With an unusually early heat wave alert, air conditioning in almost all Japanese homes and collective places, electricity production for the Tokyo region is struggling to keep up. In question: nuclear and thermal power stations which are lacking, due to the aftermath of the 2011 tsunami and more recent earthquakes. The safety margin between production and consumption no longer always reaches the required 5%. According to this official of the power supply coordination agency, “The most critical time is between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. In this segment, the margin is only 2.6%.”

The government demands savings, but paradoxically, it recommends continuing to use air conditioners “appropriately”. Indeed, to the heat is added a humidity level in the air exceeding 70% or 80%, a deadly cocktail. Every summer, thousands of Japanese end up in hospitals and dozens die from the heat, a situation that poses a dilemma for citizens. Some point to the risk to general health, which will increase with the heat waves.

“Of course, it is important to save electricity, but the priority is to protect lives. The latest models of air conditioners are very efficient in electricity.”

A resident of Tokyo

at franceinfo

Others are more critical, like this septuagenarian who feels that his peers aren’t trying hard enough: “Everyone should cooperate by raising the temperature of the air conditioning and turning off the lights, I do.”

Shops, starting with electronics hypermarkets, could still greatly reduce their consumption, for example by turning off the dozens of televisions on display. This seller confirms that this instruction is not always followed: “Other stores turn off all the televisions, we manage without turning them off.”

Giant screens always on in public squares, store signs, lights in empty halls of buildings. So many signs that show the limits of simple calls for collective responsibility.