Will the new peak electricity hours be implemented as early as June?

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade's viewpoint in the draft amendment to Circular 60 on electricity pricing, it is necessary to study the application of the new time frame immediately during this year's hot season, without waiting for the next adjustment of the average retail electricity price, given the context of continuously record-breaking electricity consumption, which significantly impacts the national power system.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade is seeking feedback on a draft circular amending and supplementing Circular No. 60/2025 on the implementation of electricity prices. This will involve applying peak, off-peak, and new normal hour schedules to the national power grid.

According to Decision 963 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, which regulates peak, off-peak, and normal hours of the national power system.

The peak hours will be shifted to the evening, from 5:30 PM to 10:30 PM, instead of the current peak electricity hours of 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM and 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM, Monday to Saturday. There will be no peak hours on Sundays.

Normal operating hours are from 6 AM to 5:30 PM and from 10:30 PM to midnight (13 hours/day), Monday to Saturday. On Sundays, normal operating hours are continuous from 6 AM to midnight.

The remaining off-peak hours are from 0 to 6 a.m. every day of the week.

However, this change has not yet been implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Trade due to regulations in Circular 60/2025, which stipulates that the new time frame can only be applied when there is an adjustment to the average electricity price. This year, the average electricity price has not been adjusted. Therefore, in the draft circular amending and supplementing some articles of Circular No. 60 on the implementation of electricity selling prices, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has proposed removing the transitional provision regarding the continued application of the old time frame until the next adjustment to the average electricity price.

Therefore, the Ministry proposes studying the application of the new time frame during the hot season of 2026, and the regulation will take effect immediately upon signing and promulgation. Comments on the draft revised circular are requested to be sent to the Ministry before May 28, 2026.

Peak electricity hours can be implemented even during the hot season.

PHOTO: D.NT

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, adjusting the peak and off-peak hours of the national power system appropriately will contribute to improving the system's operational efficiency. When the load curve is more evenly distributed over time, the power system will reduce the pressure on traditional power sources during peak hours, while also limiting excess capacity during off-peak hours. This helps improve the reliability, safety, and flexibility of the power system's operation.

Furthermore, through a pricing mechanism based on peak and off-peak hours, customers will be motivated to adjust their electricity consumption behavior to reduce electricity costs; reducing usage during peak hours and shifting to off-peak and normal hours. This helps to flatten the load curve, reduce the difference between peak and average power, thereby improving the efficiency of power source utilization and reducing pressure on the power system during peak hours.

For power systems with a significant proportion of renewable energy, such as Vietnam, designing peak hours that are opposite to the peak hours of renewable energy sources (shifting away from the peak hours of renewable energy generation and/or coinciding with periods when renewable energy sources are declining) will incentivize customers to develop power storage devices to self-balance renewable energy generation at times when the system needs additional power.

Further explaining the change in these time frames, the Ministry of Industry and Trade stated that since the peak and off-peak hours of the national power system were implemented in 2014, 12 years have passed, and many changes have occurred. In particular, since 2019, the proportion of solar power in the power generation structure has increased rapidly, causing significant changes in the power generation schedule. Therefore, adjusting these peak, off-peak, and normal hours is entirely consistent with the current load curve of the national power system.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/khung-gio-dien-cao-diem-moi-se-duoc-ap-dung-ngay-thang-6-185260529124213766.htm