SEJONG, Dec 18 – The government said Thursday that it will remove most of its restrictions on the use of electricity during the winter season, noting the country faces little or no danger of a power shortage.
“The government will continue to ban shops from operating their businesses with their doors open but work to minimize public inconveniences with only a recommendation to keep their indoor temperatures at a reasonable level,” the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a press release.
Daily faced with dangers of a power shortage during the summer and winter seasons in recent years, the government had previously set maximum indoor temperatures for all public offices and large commercial buildings.
This year, such a restriction will only apply to public offices, which will be required to keep their indoor heating at below 18 degrees Celsius, according to the ministry.
Private buildings and shops are only advised to keep their indoor heating below 20 degrees.
The move comes as the country’s total generation capacity stands at 90.22 million kilowatts (kW) while its peak spot demand is expected to reach 81.5 million kW, according to the ministry.
“The country is expected to maintain a stable power reserve of over 8.7 million kW through the winter,” it said.
