Adjusted electricity prices are guaranteed based on legal basis and operational practices.

(Chinhphu.vn) - Mr. Nguyen Xuan Nam, Deputy General Director of EVN, said that the adjustment of electricity prices is based on both legal basis and practical requirements of the operation of the national power system.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Nam, Deputy General Director of EVN, said that the adjustment of electricity prices is based on both legal basis and practical requirements of the operation of the national power system.

On May 9, a representative of Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) announced Decision No. 599/QD-EVN dated May 7, 2025 on adjusting the average retail electricity price, accordingly, the average retail electricity price after adjustment is VND 2,204.0655/kWh (excluding value added tax), applicable from May 10, 2025. This adjustment is equivalent to an increase of 4.8% compared to the current average retail electricity price.

On the same day, the Ministry of Industry and Trade also issued Decision No. 1279/QD-BCT regulating electricity prices, including retail electricity prices for groups of electricity customers and retail electricity prices for electricity retailers.

Explaining the basis for this adjustment, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Nam, Deputy General Director of EVN, said that the adjustment of electricity prices was made based on both legal grounds and practical requirements of the operation of the national power system.

Legally, the adjustment of electricity prices complies with the provisions of the Electricity Law (amended) 2024, Decree No. 72/2025/ND-CP of the Government along with specific instructions in Circular No. 22/2025 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. These documents clearly stipulate the principles, mechanisms and conditions for adjusting electricity prices, ensuring transparency, publicity and accurately reflecting the costs of electricity production and supply.

In practice, according to the 2025 electricity supply plan approved by the competent authority, the total electricity demand of the whole country is forecast to increase by more than 12% compared to 2024. This is equivalent to an additional electricity output of about 34 billion kWh. To meet this additional output, the national power system is forced to mobilize additional high-cost power sources such as coal-fired thermal power, gas-fired power, and especially oil-fired power.

Currently, the cost of producing electricity from coal is about VND2,400/kWh; gas-fired electricity, especially liquefied natural gas (LNG), costs over VND3,000/kWh; meanwhile, oil-fired electricity - the source of generation with the highest cost - is up to nearly VND5,000/kWh. When these input parameters are applied to the formula for calculating electricity prices as prescribed in Decree 72, the corresponding increase is determined to be 4.8%.

Ensure poor households and policy households are not affected

According to EVN, in the context of power generation costs tending to increase in recent years, EVN and its member units have drastically implemented cost reduction and savings with the requirement that by 2025, regular and major repair costs must be saved at least 10% and closely coordinate with the National Power System and Electricity Market Operation Company Limited to optimally operate the power system and electricity market to ensure safe and continuous power supply.

EVN representative affirmed that, basically, this electricity price adjustment will ensure that poor households and policy families are not affected significantly. Poor households and social policy households will continue to receive support according to the provisions of Decision No. 28/2014/QD-TTg dated April 7, 2014 of the Prime Minister . In particular, poor households will receive monthly support equivalent to the amount of electricity used by 30 kWh/household/month, social policy households with the amount of electricity used not exceeding 50 kWh/month will receive monthly support equivalent to the amount of electricity used by 30 kWh/household/month according to the Government's policy.

Provide enough electricity for hot season 2025

Regarding the forecast of prolonged hot weather in 2025, EVN representative said that this has been taken into account by EVN since the construction of the power supply scenario at the end of 2024.

In addition, in the first 4 months of 2025, the electricity demand in the North was always higher than in the Central and Southern regions. In this situation, EVN has proactively established a working group and made weekly plans to transfer loads, ensuring demand harmony and ensuring electricity supply nationwide.

In the long term, EVN will implement major groups of solutions to ensure no power shortage in all circumstances, including: Balancing costs, ensuring input materials for thermal power plants; Making efforts to ensure the progress of large power plant projects such as the Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant Expansion Project or Quang Trach 1 Thermal Power Plant; power transmission line projects will also be implemented on schedule by EVN...

Anh Tho

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/gia-dien-dieu-chinh-bao-dam-dua-tren-co-so-phap-ly-va-thuc-tien-van-hanh-102250510113926043.htm