Starting on May 10, the official retail electricity price is scheduled to increase by 4.8 percent to more than VND2,204 per kilowatt-hour (excluding VAT), as specified in Decision No. 599/QD-EVN issued by Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN).
Simultaneously, the Ministry of Industry and Trade released Decision No. 1279/QD-BCT outlining the new retail electricity price list categorized by customer groups, such as household, production, and business, along with respective consumption levels. Following this adjustment, individuals and businesses are urged to ascertain the potential impact on their monthly electricity expenditures.
The specific increase compared to the old price ranges from 4.7 percent to 4.9 percent, higher at large consumption levels to encourage economical use.
Policy beneficiaries such as poor and near-poor households are still supported according to Decision 28/2014/QD-TTg, equivalent to 30 kWh a household monthly, so the impact is almost negligible.
A representative of Vietnam Consumer Protection Association noted that, given the high cost of electricity generation—largely due to reliance on expensive thermal power sources—an increase in electricity prices is both objective and necessary. EVN also stated that, although current regulations permit price adjustments every three months, the most recent adjustment occurred over six months ago, in October 2024, when rates were raised by 4.8 percent.
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has just approved a project to manage and support individual households renting out houses for accommodation in the area, which mentions a policy to support electricity and water bills for individual rented rooms and houses.
Accordingly, the city will calculate electricity and water prices for tenants according to the electricity and water prices issued by the State. Tenants will be subject to the level 3 retail price for household electricity, amounting to VND2,271 per kilowatt-hour, for the total electricity consumption measured by the landlord's electricity meter.
In addition, city authorities have directed ward and commune administrations to regularly inspect landlords for compliance with regulations on electricity pricing for tenants. These inspections aim to ensure that electricity charges are calculated accurately based on prescribed rates and that no unauthorized surcharges are imposed. This measure is intended to curb arbitrary price increases by landlords and better protect tenants' rights.
According to Decision 2699 issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in October 2024, household electricity rates in Ho Chi Minh City are structured into six tiers, with the lowest rate (Tier 1) at VND1,893 per kWh and the highest (Tier 6) at 3,302 VND/kWh. For small and medium-sized enterprises operating at voltages below 6 kW, business electricity rates range from VND1,830 to VND5,174 per kWh.
Despite these clear regulations, many tenants continue to face excessive electricity and water charges, as landlords often fail to comply. In practice, most tenants in Ho Chi Minh City report paying between VND4,000 and VND5,000 per kWh—well above the regulated rates.
