Adjust living habits
Early in the morning, Mr. Luong Van Xuan (35 years old), a worker at an electronics factory in Thang Long Industrial Park (Dong Anh district, Hanoi), was busy preparing lunch. The harsh summer sun forced him to cook early to avoid the heat in the rented room of less than 15 square meters. "Now we have to tighten each penny, the electricity has increased, I don't dare to use as many air conditioners as before" - he said.
Mr. Xuan's family has 4 members, including a wife and two young children studying at a private kindergarten. His wife sells for hire, earning 5-6 million VND/month, all expenses largely depend on his worker salary. Previously, when he was still working overtime regularly, Mr. Xuan received about 9 million VND per month. Now, there is less work, the income has decreased to 7.5 million VND per month.
With that salary, most of the packages are just enough to pay for my children's education, accommodation, food, and living expenses. The rent for a room is 600,000 VND/month, but the electricity bill is a burden.
"The landlord charged 3,500 VND for some electricity. In the summer, air conditioning for a few hours in the evening has also increased to 800,000 VND, this month the electricity price has increased, the electricity bill has reached 1 million VND", Mr. Xuan sighed.
Not to mention, the tuition fee for the two children is 4 million VND per month, then the cost of milk, medicine, food... Basically, the cost of children and housing alone has "swallowed" almost all of his income. "Every month when children are sick or have unexpected problems, it is considered a shortage. For the past half year, I have not been able to save any money, and I still have to borrow more, said the male worker.
Electricity prices will be adjusted to increase from May 10, 2025, the increase is 4.8%, for low-income people, that amount is enough for them to recalculate each payment.
"We can't not use electricity, but now we turn on the fan instead of air conditioners, turn off the lights, cook once for the whole day... Everything has to be economical," said Mr. Xuan.
Tightening spending means cutting down on quality of life. New meals and clothes have to be postponed, and expenses for entertainment and health care have been almost completely cut.
Spending more economically
Not only Mr. Xuan, many workers in boarding houses around Thang Long Industrial Park are also struggling with spending.
Mr. Nguyen Van Vinh (character's name has been changed, a worker renting a room in Nhue village, Kim Chung commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi) said that in the winter, because he does not have to use air conditioners, every month, his whole family uses about 200 kWh of electricity. Currently, the landlord is applying an electricity price of 3,000 VND/kWh. Thus, he has to pay about 600,000 VND per month for electricity.
During the summer months, when his children are at home, he often has to turn on the air conditioner, causing the electricity bill to increase compared to before. "Last May, I used up more than 300 kWh of electricity, an increase of more than 1.5 times compared to before. I have to pay 900,000 VND for electricity, said Vinh.
To pay the additional electricity bill, Mr. Vinh calculated to reduce other expenses. For a worker's family with too many expenses like him, when increasing the electricity bill, he has to reduce other unnecessary expenses. "I have to use more electricity, reduce the cost of the loan," Vinh confided.
The male worker rents a room with his wife and 2 children in 2 rooms (1.5 million VND/month). With less work at the company and reduced income, he has to cut back on spending to ensure his family's life.
In the hot and stuffy summer, in the rooms, many worker families like Mr. Xuan and Mr. Vinh are struggling to cope with each month of living. Electricity prices have increased, a seemingly small matter but has become a burden for workers who have struggled to make a living from a small salary...
