HCMC – The State-run Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) has asked its units to review cases of abnormally high electricity bills last month and impose strict disciplinary measures against those who make mistakes while recording customer usage, stated Nguoi Lao Dong Online website.
According to EVN, up to 3.1 million, or 11.9%, of 26 million customers saw their power consumption in May jump over 30% compared with the previous month. Of this, nearly one million customers reported a 50% rise and over 215,000 customers saw a 300% surge.
This month, electricity bills are expected to increase further due to a prolonged heat wave, urging people to use cooling devices regularly. By June 20, over 7.2 million household customers or 27.7% of the total customers had reported a 30% rise in power usage compared with May.
Over 4.4 million customers had seen their usage soar over 50%, up 4.4 times compared with May, while over 326,000 customers had reported a 300% rise, said an EVN representative.
According to technical experts, the power consumption of air conditioners increases significantly given the rise in outdoor temperatures. Therefore, customers will have to pay more even if their usage time remains unchanged.
Regarding the wrong usage recorded in Hai Duong, Quang Binh and Quang Ninh provinces, EVN asked power corporations to act against the individuals responsible. EVN will also check all electricity bills that show the usage rising 1.3 times compared with the previous month.
