Unusually high electricity consumption
Since Q4 2023, the electricity sector has announced its plan to finalize the end-of-month meter readings nationwide. During the end-of-month meter reading period, electricity bills will be combined based on the usage cycle from the previous month’s meter reading date to the last day of the following month. As a result, the end-of-month meter reading period will correspond to approximately 40 to less than 56 days. This is the reason why the public is in an uproar over the high electricity bills. However, after receiving detailed information about the number of usage days and calculation of the tiered tariffs, many customers have stopped reacting.
Anomalous increase in electricity consumption by a customer. (Photo: PV)
The problem only arises from the fact that two months are combined, but the amount of electricity used by many customers, especially in Hanoi, has nearly tripled compared to normal months. For example, a customer in Nam Tu Liem district reported to PV that in the months of each year (except for the summer period), the electricity consumption is usually below 800 kWh/month. However, according to the end-of-month meter reading for February, the household electricity consumption increased to over 2,100 kWh. The customer believes that this increase is “unusual” as the household did not use any additional electrical appliances and the daily activities remained normal like in previous months.
Many other customers also reported an unusually high increase in electricity consumption during the billing consolidation period on social media. “In January, our electricity bill was 937,000 VND, but it soared to 2,347,000 VND in March. Even though it’s consolidating two months’ worth of usage, which means that instead of a 30-day bill like before, the March bill will have 51 days of electricity usage, resulting in an average additional payment of nearly 300,000 VND per month compared to before,” said an anonymous individual.
Some customers mentioned that they closed their houses and went back to their hometown for the Lunar New Year holiday for about 7 to 10 days, yet the electricity consumption was reported to have nearly tripled. For example, a customer in Cau Giay district said that their family usually used about 300 kWh per month, but the bill showed that this month’s consumption reached 815 kWh, even though they were away for 1 week. Another customer in Gia Lam district also stated that their family went back to their hometown for 9 days, yet the electricity bill increased abnormally from less than 1 million VND per month to 3.24 million VND during the billing consolidation period.
What does EVNHANOI say?
An EVNHANOI representative stated that they have received some information regarding customers’ concerns about the high electricity consumption. EVNHANOI has recorded all the inquiries and requested the electricity teams responsible for each area to visit customers’ homes to check the energy meters and investigate why the electricity consumption has increased unusually. However, all electricity meters in Hanoi are digital meters that remotely measure and have been thoroughly inspected before installation for customers, so errors are unlikely to occur.
According to the EVNHANOI representative, customers’ everyday habits like keeping electrical devices plugged in throughout the day are also factors that contribute to recorded electricity consumption even when the devices are not in use. Additionally, during the recent billing consolidation period, the damp and cold weather has led many households to use additional devices for heating and drying clothes, resulting in an increase in electricity consumption.
“We will visit each customer with concerns to check the energy meters. Our limits are only up to the energy meters, but we will explain the power consumption of the household appliances to help customers understand how much electricity is consumed when using those devices. If customers feel unsatisfied, they can request meter verification. We will seal the meter and accompany the customer to the meter testing center to check the accuracy of the meter. If there are any discrepancies, EVNHANOI will take responsibility and we have regulations for compensating customers,” said the EVNHANOI representative, who also mentioned that based on previous years’ consumption patterns during the Lunar New Year period, electricity consumption tends to increase compared to other times.
However, many customers still disagree with EVNHANOI’s explanations and insist that their daily activities at home have remained normal, and there is no reason for the sudden and unusual increase in electricity consumption. In particular, customers believe that there are a significant number of complaints about the unusually high electricity consumption, so there should be strict measures to investigate where the errors occur.
