Shocked about electricity bill, need to save as much as possible

The sudden increase in electricity bills has shocked many families in the province. As the peak of the hot season approaches, the electricity industry is advising people to save electricity.

Staff of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Electricity Company instruct people on how to use electricity economically during the hot season.

Shocked with electricity bill

Mr. Tran Van Ngan, living on 30/4 Street, Ward 11, has just received an electricity bill with an amount of 1.5 million VND. This amount has increased by more than 60% compared to last month. “My family of 4 people usually uses 2 air conditioners at noon and evening and some other electrical appliances. It has been a bit hot recently so the time of using the air conditioner has increased but not much. I knew that the electricity bill would increase this month but I didn’t expect it to be so sudden,” Mr. Ngan exclaimed.

Through a survey, most electricity customers in the province experienced a sudden increase in their bills from 30-70% compared to February. Many households also had to pay the highest electricity bills in recent years.

According to Ba Ria-Vung Tau Electricity Company, the sudden increase in electricity bills in March compared to the previous month has many reasons. Because it has just entered the peak of the hot season, people use more electricity, especially air conditioners and cooling devices. Along with that, March has 31 days compared to 28 days in February, causing the amount of electricity consumed to increase.

Specifically, the total electricity output used by household customers in the province in February was more than 89.4 million kWh. Meanwhile, in March it was nearly 112 million kWh, an increase of more than 22.4 million kWh. The total amount that household electricity customers in Ba Ria-Vung Tau paid in March was nearly 280 billion VND, about 66 billion VND higher than the previous month.

The hotter it is, the more we need to save electricity.

According to Mr. Tran Thanh Hai, Deputy Director of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Electricity Company, according to the annual weather pattern, April and May are the peak hot season in the southern provinces, including Ba Ria-Vung Tau, with temperatures often fluctuating above 350C, sometimes even hot at night.

The long hours of hot, humid weather have caused a sharp increase in the use of cooling devices. Air conditioners can account for up to half of a household's total electricity consumption at peak times. In addition, refrigerators and other cooling devices also operate at higher intensity, increasing electricity consumption by 20-30% compared to the rest of the year. Meanwhile, the operating mechanism of these devices causes electricity consumption to increase during hot weather even though the usage time is almost the same.

According to forecasts, in the coming time when the heat peaks, the amount of electricity used and consumption bills will also "peak". This makes people pay more attention to saving electricity. Deputy Director of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Electricity Company Tran Thanh Hai commented that saving electricity helps people reduce costs, and also reduces pressure on the electricity industry.

Customers need to pay attention to using electricity “at the right time, in the right place, in the right way and for the right needs”. In addition, people should prioritize buying high-efficiency electrical equipment or electrical equipment with energy-saving labels; use LED lights for lighting and minimize the use of incandescent bulbs; use timers to turn on and off household electrical appliances; install and use rooftop solar power systems, solar water heating systems, etc.

Mr. Hai said: “Together with the people, the electricity sector also implements solutions to mobilize and promote organizations and unions to save electricity. To date, more than 21,000 customers have signed commitments and agreements to save electricity.”

Article and photos: QUANG VINH

Source: https://baobariavungtau.com.vn/kinh-te/202504/giat-minh-ve-tien-dien-can-tiet-kiem-toi-da-1039141/