Singapore is known for its widespread use of air conditioning, but due to the Iran War causing energy prices to rise, the country has required government employees to adjust office temperatures to at least 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit).
The public institutions of the city-state will also install energy-saving technologies, such as LED lights and smart sensors, to help save energy.
Singapore has joined other Southeast Asian countries in taking measures to save energy, such as Thailand, which also requires people to maintain air conditioning temperatures at 26-27 degrees Celsius.
The region heavily relies on oil and gas transportation through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed since the beginning of the war.
In 1999, Lee Kuan Yew, widely regarded as the father of modern Singapore, made a famous statement that air conditioning had "changed the lives of people in tropical regions", allowing them to work indoors even in hot outdoor conditions.
The former Prime Minister once said, "The first thing I did after taking office was to install air conditioning in the civil service office building. This is crucial for improving public efficiency
Lee Kuan Yew passed away in 2015 and is often regarded as the mastermind behind Singapore's transition from a resource poor island nation to one of the most developed economies in Asia in the post colonial era.
Nowadays, there are almost no offices in the country without air conditioning - although some people believe that the use of air conditioning is often excessive.
Due to the low temperature in the office, it is not uncommon for employees to bring their own cardigans or sweaters to wear during office hours.
Unlike many cities in Southeast Asia with open-air shopping streets, almost all shopping centers in Singapore are equipped with air conditioning.
In fact, pedestrians on the streets of Singapore often feel a piercing cold wind hitting them as they pass by the entrances of shopping malls and department stores.
All buses and trains in the city are equipped with air conditioning.
Most households also have air conditioning installed - and it often stays on all night.
The Ministry of Sustainable Development and Environment of Singapore stated on April 8th that due to the impact of the Iran War on the global fuel supply chain, the government is taking the lead in implementing energy-saving measures.
Government employees were informed to set the air conditioning temperature to 25 degrees Celsius and strictly control the usage time.
The department stated, "For every one degree increase in temperature, energy demand decreases by about 10%
Workers are also urged to switch to fans and take public transportation to reduce fuel consumption.
Singapore's fuel prices have risen, and authorities have issued a warning to the public to prepare for further economic chaos that may arise from the Middle East war.
Since the end of the war, the country has not utilized its fuel reserves or implemented rationing measures.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, about two-thirds of Singapore's crude oil imports come from Middle Eastern countries.
Other Asian countries that rely more on Gulf oil are competing to find alternative suppliers and methods to curb the impact of rising fuel prices.
98% of the Philippines' oil relies on imports from the Middle East, and in order to save energy, the government has shortened the working hours of various departments. Government agencies are also required to reduce the use of electricity and fuel.
In March, the country became the first to declare a national energy emergency, after gasoline prices more than doubled in the previous weeks.
Thailand has also implemented emergency energy-saving measures, including ordering civil servants to work from home.
Thailand also calls on the public to keep the air conditioning temperature at 26-27 degrees Celsius and save fuel by carpooling or taking public transportation.
More than two-thirds of South Korea's energy is imported from the Gulf region, and the country has launched an energy-saving campaign to encourage people to shorten shower time and only use washing machines on weekends.
Ichiro Kuaya from the Japan Energy Economics Research Institute stated that the economic consequences of the Iran War can be described as the 'Asian crisis'.
He said that developing countries are particularly affected because they have a large number of gasoline cars and many households that rely on natural gas.
Kugu stated that in the long run, this is a painful lesson for Asia, and that it is necessary to learn from this crisis, strive to improve oil utilization efficiency, and achieve diversified supply sources.
Source of this article: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c80mxrdvkpjo