Ho Chi Minh City: Strengthening propaganda about electricity prices for tenants

Applying the 3rd level retail electricity price for tenants

According to Mr. Bui Trung Kien, Deputy General Director of Ho Chi Minh City Electricity Corporation, to ensure that workers, students and laborers who rent houses can use electricity according to the prescribed retail electricity price, the Corporation has coordinated with localities to count the accommodation locations of workers and tenants in the management area to apply the retail price of household electricity for tenants according to regulations. At the same time, it has organized instructions for landlords on how to calculate electricity bills according to the ladder for tenants according to the regulations on retail electricity prices, avoiding the case of collecting a flat price (average price) creating unfairness between those who use little electricity and those who use a lot of electricity. In cases where tenants frequently change and it is difficult to determine the applied electricity price, Ho Chi Minh City Electricity Corporation will apply the third-level retail electricity price for all measured output at the meter in cases where the landlord can prove the number of temporary residents or has documents confirming the residence information from the competent authority but cannot fully declare the number of electricity users.

The Corporation has also strengthened the dissemination and guidance of regulations on calculating electricity rates for workers, students and employees renting houses for accommodation according to Clause 4, Article 10, Circular 16/2014/TT-BCT dated May 29, 2014 of the Minister of Industry and Trade (amended and supplemented by Circular No. 25/2018/TT-BCT dated September 12, 2018; Circular No. 06/2021/TT-BCT dated August 6, 2021 Circular 09/2023/TT-BCT dated April 21, 2023 of the Minister of Industry and Trade). Implementing public posting of electricity prices for students and employees renting houses at headquarters and customer transaction points. Deploying notifications via customer care applications... regulations, procedures and methods for calculating electricity usage rates for tenants. Provide hotline phone numbers, emails, fanpages, and websites of the Customer Care Center for customers to contact 24/7 to find out information about electricity prices for tenants. Electricity companies have also presided over and coordinated with the People's Committees of wards, communes, and towns to inspect landlords in calculating electricity bills for tenants to ensure that they are at the supported price.

Fine of 20-30 million VND for violations

According to current regulations, in the case of renting a house to students and workers where the tenant is not a household with a rental contract of 12 months or more and has temporary or permanent residence registration (determined based on information on residence at the location of electricity use), the landlord will directly sign the electricity purchase contract or represent the tenant to sign the electricity purchase contract with the electricity companies (with the landlord's commitment to pay the electricity bill).

If the homeowner fully declares the number of people using electricity, the electricity seller is responsible for providing the homeowner with a quota based on information about residence at the location of electricity use: Every 04 (four) people are counted as one household using electricity to calculate the quota applied to the retail price of household electricity, specifically: 01 (one) person is counted as 1/4 of the quota, 02 (two) people are counted as 1/2 of the quota, 03 (three) people are counted as 3/4 of the quota, 04 (four) people are counted as 1 quota. When there is a change in the number of tenants, the landlord is responsible for notifying the electricity seller to adjust the quota for calculating the electricity bill.

In case the house lease term is less than 12 months and the landlord cannot fully declare the number of electricity users, the retail price of household electricity of level 3 will be applied: From 101-200kWh according to Decision No. 1279/QD-BCT dated May 9, 2025 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (VND 2,380/kWh - excluding VAT) for the entire electricity output measured at the meter.

The electricity seller is allowed to request the electricity buyer to provide information about residence at the location of electricity use as a basis for determining the number of people to calculate the electricity bill.

According to the provisions of Section 6, Clause 15, Article 2, Decree No. 17/2022/ND-CP dated January 31, 2022, a person who collects electricity bills from tenants for housing at a higher rate than the State's announced rate will be fined from 20-30 million VND for a landlord who collects electricity bills from tenants at a higher rate than the prescribed price in the case of purchasing electricity at the retail price for living, production, business and service purposes.

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Tenants and landlords can contact Ho Chi Minh City Electricity Corporation for guidance, answers and to register to buy electricity at the correct price in one of the following ways:
- Contact Customer Care Center Hotline 1900 545454
- Contact via email: [email protected]
- Visit website: https://evnhcmc.vn
- Access EVNHCMC application on mobile devices
- Visit Fanpage: Ho Chi Minh City Electricity Corporation.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/tp-ho-chi-minh-tang-cuong-tuyen-truyen-gia-dien-cho-nguoi-thue-nha-703088.html