Portable power stations have become sought-after items in northern Vietnam as unpredictable power cuts urged residents to store electricity in advance.
Quang Minh in Hai Phong has been looking to buy a portable power station for his household, which has been experiencing load shedding of up to several hours at a time in recent weeks.
The product that he plans to buy is made in China and sold at VND2.3 million (US$98). It can be used for many devices his family use regularly such as Wi-Fi routers, fans, rice cookers, and lamps.
In contrast to power generators, the portable stations operate without noise and can be easily operated by both adults and children, he said.
Users say that a station can meet a household’s basic requirement within a day.
Vu Xuan Tung, an electronic store owner in Hanoi, said that in the past portable power stations are only bought campers, but recently many people buy them as a backup power source in case of power cuts.
His store has been running out of power stations recently and sometimes customers have to order up to seven days in advance.
Most stations are made in China, including some that are advertised to have a German brand. Their prices are around several million Vietnamese dong. Some high-end products can be priced more than VND10 million.
A Facebook group of 10,000 members, which often sold battery-powered fans in the past, has changed its focus to portable power stations in recent weeks.
Group admin Vien Duong said that power stations can be used for many devices, not just a fan, and therefore is preferred amid power cuts.
A survey of nearly 400 readers on June 12-13 showed that around 53% were looking into buying a portable power station, while 7% had bought one.
Northern Vientam has been experiencing frequent load shedding these days as hydropower plants were shut down due to low water levels.