In Quang Binh commune, Thanh Hoa province, numerous residents have expressed their outrage over an unexpected spike in electricity bills for June, with some bills increasing by 2 to 3 times compared to previous months. Many families, like that of 42-year-old Van Thu Sinh, received bills close to 2.84 million VND, a shocking rise from the 600,000 to 800,000 VND they typically paid earlier in the year.

Despite consistent electricity use, with only two air conditioning units operated intermittently, the bill for June was nearly three times higher than in May, when the family had more electrical consumption due to the summer heat and children being home from school. Sinh noted that the family had not added any new appliances or increased their usage, leading to confusion and frustration.

Similarly, Nguyen Nhu Quynh, another resident, reported that her bill reached nearly 4.5 million VND in June, up from around 2 million VND in previous months. Quynh, who works all day and only uses her air conditioning in the evenings, found this increase particularly burdensome. Residents across the commune are voicing similar complaints, suggesting that the recent installation of new electricity meters might be a contributing factor to the unexpected bill increases.

On July 9, local authorities organized a dialogue session with representatives from the electricity service cooperative and affected residents to address these concerns. Residents have urged officials to investigate the reasons behind the sudden rise in their bills and to review the entire system of meters and electrical lines, especially in households experiencing unusual increases.

Trần Văn Thành, the director of the Quang Thai Electricity Service Cooperative, acknowledged that the spike in bills was not isolated to Quang Binh but was a widespread issue during June due to prolonged hot weather and increased air conditioning usage. He explained that as temperatures rise, air conditioning units must operate at higher capacities, leading to increased electricity consumption.

According to Thanh Hoa Power Company, there are currently 89 organizations involved in the wholesale and retail sale of electricity, serving approximately 322,000 customers in the province. The Quang Thai cooperative supplies electricity to about 2,800 customers, purchasing from the Quang Xuong Management Team of Thanh Hoa Power Company.

As the investigation continues, residents remain hopeful for a resolution that addresses their concerns about the billing practices and the reliability of the new meters.