“During peak hours, household appliances are almost unusable, from rice cookers to refrigerators, TVs, and washing machines. My family doesn’t dare to buy an air conditioner because even if we do, we won’t be able to use it,” said Le Thi Luyen (52 years old, residing in Ngoc Son village, Ha Son commune, Ha Trung district, Thanh Hoa province).
According to several residents, to cope with this electricity situation, many households have switched to using wood stoves for cooking and boiling drinking water, or they plug in their rice cookers around 2-3 PM daily. The issue of low voltage electricity has become more severe, and the villagers have brought it up during village and communal meetings, but the problem persists. As a result, the daily lives of these households are affected, and many appliances are damaged due to low voltage or prolonged disuse.
Le Thi Luyen shares her experience of not being able to use her rice cooker due to low voltage.
Mr. Nguyen Van Ngo, Vice Chairman of Ha Son Commune People’s Committee, Ha Trung District, confirmed that nearly 200 households in Ngoc Son, Vinh An, and Chi Phuc villages are facing similar low voltage issues.
According to Mr. Ngo, the cause of the low voltage is the aging infrastructure, especially the electrical wires, which were installed many years ago. In recent years, the number of electrical appliances used by residents has increased, putting a strain on the system.
The commune has sent multiple documents to the electricity supplier, Thanh Hoa Power Management and Trading JSC, requesting them to address the issue, but so far, no improvements have been made.
Due to low voltage, many families in Ngoc Son village, Ha Son commune, are reluctant to install air conditioners.
Mr. Vu Dinh Kiem, Director of Branch 4, Thanh Hoa Power Management and Trading JSC, stated that they currently supply electricity to approximately 1,200 households in Ha Son commune.
According to their statistics, about 70 households in Vinh An and Ngoc Son villages are affected by low voltage. The issue is due to the large area of Ha Son commune and the increased number of electrical appliances used by the residents. The households most affected by low voltage are those located at the end of the power line, far from the substation.
Additionally, the low voltage is partly due to the inadequate technical specifications of the wiring from the meter to the households, which has been in use for a long time. The company has conducted a survey and is in the process of acquiring land to build a substation in Ngoc Son village. The construction is expected to begin and be completed in the first or second quarter of 2025.
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