The Soaring Cost of Electricity: What Does EVN Have to Say About the Public Outcry?

Six-Fold Bill Increase for Identical Households

Residents in Phu Tho province are baffled by an unusual spike in their August electricity bills. Notably, one household’s August bill was identical to their July bill, and two different households had identical bills, including consumption and payment amounts.

Specifically, Mr. Nguyen Duc Doan and Mr. Nguyen Dinh Manh, from Hung Viet commune, received identical electricity bills for August, both amounting to 572,011 VND.

“It’s strange that the bills of two households are exactly the same, despite their different lifestyles and electricity consumption patterns,” said Mr. Doan.

According to Mr. Doan, while it’s normal for electricity bills to fluctuate with the seasons, it’s unusual for them to be the same across different households. “It could be a coincidence if it happened to one household, but since multiple households in the commune are experiencing this, there’s clearly an issue,” he shared.

Adding to the mystery, the bills of two different households with distinct consumption patterns were also identical, raising questions about the accuracy of meter readings, calculations, and billing processes.

Similar concerns were raised in Hanoi, where Ms. Nguyen Tra My (from Hoang Mai district) shared with
Tien Phong

that her August electricity bill had an abnormal surge.

Her online payment history showed that her family’s August electricity bill exceeded 3.1 million VND, a significant increase compared to previous months. In July, their bill was 2.3 million VND, and in June, it was 921,000 VND.

“There are only three people in my household, and we don’t cook at home. We only use two air conditioners in the evening, yet our August bill exceeded 3 million VND. It’s unreasonable. In June, we went on a cross-country trip for over ten days and barely used any electricity at home, but our bill was still almost 1 million VND. We don’t know who to turn to, as the power company only provides vague responses,” Ms. My expressed her frustration.

Mr. Bui Dinh Hong, from Ha Tinh province, also experienced a gradual increase in his electricity bills over several months, despite no significant changes in his household’s electricity usage. His August bill amounted to 1.9 million VND, while his July bill was 1.3 million VND.

In March, his electricity bill was around 324,000 VND, but it had increased to 1.3 million VND in July and further jumped to over 1.9 million VND in August.

“Within five months, my family’s electricity bill has increased by almost six times. We haven’t added any new appliances, and our usage has been consistent. We simply can’t understand how our electricity bills are calculated,” Mr. Hong expressed his confusion and questioned the correlation between their actual consumption and the amount they were charged.

Electricity Company Responds

In response to customer concerns, a representative of the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) stated that they are instructing their units to investigate and provide clear explanations to each affected customer regarding unusual bill increases or identical bills.

The representative noted that it is very rare for two consecutive monthly bills of a household to be identical. In such cases, customers should contact their local power company for a review and clarification.

Regarding the identical bills of Mr. Doan and Mr. Manh, EVN explained that on September 5, the power company inspected and found that these were two different customers with the same consumption, resulting in identical bills. EVN assured that there was nothing unusual about this situation. “The authorities are currently investigating the matter,” EVN added.

Concerning Mr. Hong’s case, the Northern Power Corporation (EVNNPC) invited him for a discussion on September 5. They extracted data from the remote measurement program and confirmed that his meter was functioning correctly.

EVNNPC explained that the high bill in August was due to the customer’s use of high-power appliances. They clarified the situation to the customer, and he agreed to continue monitoring his electricity usage.

Addressing the public’s concerns about bill increases after the recent electricity price adjustment, EVN attributed it to the surge in peak power demand in the North, which increased by nearly 900 MW from early June to early August. The power sector faced the dual challenge of extreme heat and typhoon prevention.

“Last month, many customers raised similar concerns, and our units were instructed to investigate. According to their reports, no issues were found. Our principle is to be transparent and provide clear information to our customers if any errors are identified,” EVN stated.

EVN Hanoi acknowledged that while the weather in August was slightly cooler than in June and July, it was still extremely hot, leading to frequent use of cooling appliances and, consequently, higher electricity consumption and bills.

“Not all customers in Hanoi experienced bill increases. For those who did, we will send our staff to inspect and provide explanations,” EVN Hanoi assured, adding that they would provide feedback on the cases mentioned in this article.

The Northern Power Corporation (EVNNPC) attributed the primary cause of the August bill increases to the high demand for cooling during the hot months, with typhoons having only a localized impact.

In this context, the increased use of air conditioners, fans, and cooling equipment by residents and businesses pushed the power load to record-breaking levels in the 17 provinces and cities under EVNNPC’s management (excluding Hanoi).

On August 4, the northern power system recorded a peak power demand of 18,983.9 MW, and electricity sales reached 393.09 million kWh, the highest ever.