AC Office is No Longer Cold, Southeast Asian Workers are Hot

Illustration of office workers in Southeast Asian countries who have to be hot because of the current energy crisis. (Freepik.com)

JAKARTA - Office workers in Southeast Asia are facing hot days. The weather is getting hotter, while the office AC can no longer be set as cold as before because the government has started to tighten energy use.

Dilansir The Straits Times yang mengutip Bloomberg, Selasa, 28 April, sejumlah negara di kawasan Asia Tenggara menerapkan aturan suhu di kantor pemerintah sejak perang di Iran mengganggu pasokan energi. Penutupan Selat Hormuz yang berlarut juga menekan cadangan energi dan membuat pemerintah mencari cara berhemat.

Thailand is among the most affected. Temperatures in recent weeks have reached 40 degrees Celsius. The Bangkok government has issued several warnings of dangerous heat.

Since March, public sector offices in Thailand have been asked to set the air conditioning at 26-27 degrees Celsius. For some employees, the temperature is heavy.

"Sometimes it's even hard to breathe," said Pornpimol Sirimai, an employee of the Thai Ministry of Health. He even bought an electric fan to help cool the room.

"The canteen, even the 7-Eleven on the lower floor, is cooler than our office. That's why people end up gathering there," he said.

Heat is expected to be unsettled. The El Nino weather pattern could worsen the situation. Emi Gui from Monash University Malaysia said Southeast Asia is facing a "double blow" of extreme heat, drought risk, flooding, and agricultural disruption.

El Nino can also damage crops such as rice, palm oil, rubber, and sugar. The water surface of the dam for power plants can drop, precisely when electricity demand rises.

Several countries are trying to reduce the feeling of discomfort through clothing rules. In the Philippines, employees of one of the land transportation offices can wear light-collared shirts, not traditional clothing. The Philippines also directs government offices to not set the air conditioner below 24 degrees Celsius.

At the Philippine central bank, the air conditioning temperature is maintained at 25 degrees Celsius. "It's not too cold. But it's not hot either, just," said Deputy Governor of the Central Bank Elmore Capule.

Malaysia chose a similar path. The government encourages the use of cotton batik and requires offices to set the air conditioner at 24 degrees Celsius. Norhisham Khalid, an employee of the Malaysian Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, actually considers the rule to be reasonable. Previously, said Norhisham, the office was too cold until an employee was wearing a sweater.

Indonesia has not set a specific AC temperature. However, employees in government and state-owned enterprises said there were internal notifications to reduce electricity use. In some places, including the parliament complex in Jakarta, AC, lights, and escalators were turned off early.

Singapore also asked government agencies to regulate the operating hours of air conditioners, lights, and elevators. Residents are reminded to use government vouchers to buy energy-efficient household appliances.

Energy pressures are also felt outside the office. Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines have raised retail prices of solar and gasoline as the subsidy burden becomes heavier.

HSBC warned that if the conflict drags on and the weather gets hotter, the region could shift from an oil problem to a food problem.

Norhisham, who is now only two days into his office in Putrajaya, Malaysia, estimates that he can save one tank of gas per month because he doesn't drive to the office. He also saves about two hours of travel every day.