The most significant development this week is the simultaneous imposition of compulsory electricity-reduction measures by two very different governments – Colombia and Iran – each responding to distinct but converging pressures. In Bogotá, the Ministry of Mines and Energy has issued Circular 40021, directing all public entities of the executive branch to reinforce energy-saving practices ahead of the anticipated El Niño phenomenon in the second half of the year. The move follows early warnings from Colombia’s IDEAM institute and international climate agencies. Meanwhile, in Tehran, the government has gone further, mandating that all government offices, banks, and municipal bodies cut their electricity consumption by at least thirty percent during working hours compared to the same period last year, and by seventy percent outside office hours. Iranian officials have also ordered that air conditioning systems be set to no lower than 25 degrees Celsius and switched off an hour before the end of the working day.

Viewed from Latin America, Colombia’s circular is framed as a set of recommendations rather than a blanket order, though the minister, Edwin Palma, stressed that energy efficiency must become a permanent habit, not a crisis response. Analysts in the region note that Colombia’s heavy reliance on hydroelectric power makes it especially vulnerable to the dry conditions El Niño typically brings. The Iranian approach is more coercive, backed by real-time monitoring systems and field inspections – a reflection of the chronic under-investment and fuel shortages that have plagued its power sector for years. Yet the underlying logic is the same: both governments are seeking to avert rolling blackouts that would damage public confidence and disrupt economic activity.

From the perspective of households, an Argentine report has highlighted that the single largest domestic electricity consumer is often the electric water heater, which can consume between 150 and 300 kilowatt-hours per month – equivalent to a monthly cost of up to 55 euros. This detail serves as a reminder that efficiency campaigns, however well-intentioned, must eventually reach beyond public buildings into private homes if they are to achieve meaningful reductions. In both Colombia and Iran, the success of the current measures may depend on how quickly citizens adopt similar discipline.

Looking ahead, the parallel steps taken in Bogotá and Tehran suggest a broader trend: as climate change amplifies the frequency and severity of heatwaves and droughts, energy austerity is becoming a standard tool of governance. The challenge for both countries – and for others watching from the Global South – will be sustaining these cuts without undermining essential services or eroding political legitimacy. The coming months will test whether such pre-emptive curbs can prevent the deeper crises they are designed to avoid.