CaliToday (06/9/2025): A growing public outcry over unusually high electricity bills for August 2025 has intensified across Vietnam, as citizens are now directly challenging the official explanation from Vietnam Electricity (EVN) by pointing to a significant contradiction: the month was dominated by unusually cool and stormy weather.
Nationwide, households have been reporting a sharp, unexpected spike in their electricity charges. The issue gained significant traction when residents began independently tracking their meter readings, alleging they found discrepancies and "ambiguous" calculation methods in the bills issued by the state-owned utility.
Initially, the Northern Power Corporation (EVNNPC), a subsidiary of EVN, attributed the higher costs to a surge in demand, assuming increased use of air conditioning during what is typically a hot month. However, a crucial new detail brought forward by the public fundamentally undermines this explanation. According to widespread citizen reports, August was, in fact, an unseasonably cool and wet month characterized by significant rainfall and storm systems across many parts of the country.
This new information paints a completely different picture. Residents argue that, contrary to the utility's assumptions, their use of air conditioning was substantially lower than in a typical summer month. "It makes no sense," stated one frustrated Da Nang resident in a widely shared social media post. "We had rain and storms for weeks. The weather was cool, and we barely turned on our air conditioners. Yet, my bill is higher than it was during the peak of the summer heat. Where are these costs coming from?"
The contradiction has amplified public suspicion that the problem lies not with consumer behavior, but with systemic flaws in EVN's metering and billing systems. The claims of "ambiguous" calculations now carry more weight, as the primary justification for a consumption spike—hot weather—has been invalidated by the actual weather conditions experienced by the populace.
In its earlier statement, EVNNPC had issued recommendations for more efficient energy use, such as setting air conditioners to moderate temperatures. For many, this advice now seems out of touch and dismissive of their genuine concerns. The public sentiment is shifting from confusion to a demand for accountability.
Consumer rights advocates are now calling for a transparent, independent investigation into EVN's practices. The core of the public's demand is a clear explanation for how electricity bills could increase so dramatically during a period of reduced demand for cooling. Until EVN can provide a satisfactory answer that accounts for the cool, rainy weather, public trust is likely to continue to erode, putting significant pressure on the national utility to address what many believe are fundamental inaccuracies in their system.
