NAMYANGJU — Namyangju, a city in Gyeonggi Province, has saved 80 million won ($56,000) a year by resetting the contracted power capacity of its public buildings. The measure, which originated in plans drawn up during Mayor Choi Hyun-duk's transition committee period, is being cited as a case of proactive administration that improved local fiscal efficiency by eliminating unnecessary base charges.
The city said on the 13th that it had completed a review of electricity use and the adequacy of contracted power capacity at 357 public facilities, including government offices and sports centers. As a result, it lowered the contracted capacity at 39 sites that had been set excessively high relative to actual consumption, by a combined 1,362 kilowatts.
The change will save the city about 6.63 million won a month, or roughly 79.62 million won a year, in electricity bills. Under the electricity rate structure, contracted capacity set higher than needed leads to unnecessary base charges regardless of actual consumption. City officials inspected conditions at each site themselves and drew up the revisions.
Building on the results, the city plans to monitor electricity use at public facilities on a continuous basis and to extend the know-how to private facilities. It also intends to provide analysis of electricity consumption at apartment complexes and other multi-unit housing to encourage residents to save energy and cut carbon emissions.
"This adjustment of contracted power capacity is a model case of preventing unnecessary budget spending through detailed on-site analysis," a Namyangju city official said. "We will continue to find policies that maximize energy efficiency and help achieve carbon neutrality."