Under the plan, the interval between subway trains will be extended by up to one minute between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on, which results in a 12.5 percent cut in the number of trains operated.
In addition, if stores run air conditioners with their doors wide open or fail to maintain indoor air temperatures at 26 degrees Celcius or less, they will be fined between 500,000 won and 3 million won.
Many shop owners with air conditioners in crowded districts, such as Myeong-dong, Shinchon, Hongdae, Gangnam and other areas, believe that if they close their doors during business hours, it will cause a decrease in sales.
The plan also calls on more than 13,000 buildings across the capital to turn up their thermostat in the summer months.
Turning up the thermostat of the air conditioner by a degree is a small step to help ensure no disruptions in power supply, officials said. It will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions which are blamed for the rise in temperatures, they said.
They pointed out that air conditioners are the main culprit behind the surge in electricity consumption during the heat wave. Air conditioners consume a lot more power than fans.
Those measures came as the country's power reserve levels are expected to plunge since several of the country's 23 nuclear reactors are out of service after the nuclear safety authorities found substandard parts were used in them.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com