Tokyo Officials Asking Residents, Businesses To Cut Power Use
Officials of the Tokyo metropolitan government are calling on residents and businesses in the capital to take specific steps to curb electricity consumption.
The officials met on Monday morning to confirm their energy-saving plan. The move comes after the central government issued an advisory for possible power shortages in Tokyo and surrounding areas in the afternoon amid the scorching heat.
The Tokyo officials are asking businesses to reduce their use of elevators, multifunction printers and office space.
The officials are asking residents to set their air-conditioner temperatures to 28 degrees Celsius. They are also calling on them to refrain from using appliances with high power consumption, such as clothes irons and electric pots.
The central government issued the advisory on Sunday afternoon for areas serviced by the Tokyo Electric Power Company. It covers the late-afternoon hours on Monday.
It is the first such advisory under the country's new alert system designed to help people to prepare for a possible power crunch.
The government is calling on businesses and households in the areas to do what they can to save energy, while using air conditioners as needed to avoid heatstroke.