Circular No. 60 by the Ministry of Industry and Trade supplements regulations on retail electricity prices for electric vehicle charging – Illustrative image
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The Ministry of Industry and Trade has recently issued Circular No. 60/2025/TT-BCT, detailing the application of electricity prices to ensure transparency, accuracy in targeting, and alignment with usage purposes.
This Circular establishes a unified legal framework for applying electricity prices across different customer groups, usage purposes, and voltage levels, while clearly defining the responsibilities of parties involved in electricity purchase and sale relationships.
It specifies retail electricity prices for various customer groups and electricity retailers, as outlined in Clause 1, Article 5 of Decision No. 14/2025/QĐ-TTg dated May 29, 2025, issued by the Prime Minister, which defines the structure of retail electricity prices.
The Circular applies to agencies, organizations, and individuals buying and selling electricity from the national grid in connected areas, as well as in rural, mountainous, border, and island areas not yet connected to the national grid, and other related entities.
A key principle is that electricity prices must be applied accurately according to the intended user and purpose. Buyers are required to declare their usage purpose truthfully and notify sellers at least 15 days in advance of any changes. Misapplication resulting in losses requires both parties to recover or refund the difference within a maximum of 12 months, with potential compensation claims as per legal provisions and contracts.
The Circular also details procedures for cases where a single electricity usage point serves multiple purposes, methods for calculating electricity consumption when prices change, and requirements for meter readings during price adjustments. Electricity prices are categorized into three voltage levels: high, medium, and low, with super high voltage priced at the 220 kV level.
For time-of-use pricing, the Circular defines peak, off-peak, and standard hours. Businesses with dedicated transformers of 25 kVA or more, or monthly consumption exceeding 2,000 kWh, are mandated to use three-tier pricing. Refusal to install three-tier meters after two notices may result in peak-hour pricing for all consumption.
Notably, the Circular introduces specific regulations for retail electricity prices used for electric vehicle charging. Commercial charging stations, pillars, and battery swap cabinets must have separate meters and apply prices based on charging purposes. Residential contracts charging electric vehicles will continue to use residential electricity rates.
For residential electricity, each household at a single usage point is entitled to one quota. Shared meters among multiple households will have quotas multiplied by the number of households. Dormitories, student housing, and rental units will have quotas calculated based on the number of occupants, with every four individuals counted as one household. Landlords are prohibited from charging tenants more than the amount billed by the electricity provider.
Additionally, specific calculation methods are provided for new connections, contract changes, meter reading date changes, and readings not coinciding with price adjustments, ensuring user rights are protected.
The Circular includes transitional provisions, maintaining certain aspects of Circular No. 16/2014/TT-BCT until the next average retail electricity price adjustment.
– 13:50 09/12/2025
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