On the afternoon of March 7, when Ms. Le Thi Hong (31 years old, Hanoi) just came home from work, she suddenly saw two large plastic cans placed in the corner of the kitchen.
“What are you buying?”, she asked.
Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, her husband, replied: "I just went to pour in a few more cans of gasoline. Prices are increasing, buy in advance to save money.
Hearing that, Ms. Hong immediately objected. In her mind, leaving gasoline in the house poses many risks of fire and explosion, especially when the family has young children.
My house is in an apartment, and it's close to the kitchen. Just a little carelessness is very dangerous," she said.
However, Mr. Thanh said that he is only calculating family expenses. According to him, each day the couple goes to work nearly 40 km, and the monthly gasoline money is not small at all.
Gasoline prices are constantly increasing, I think buying a few dozen liters in advance will also save a bit," he explained.
The story quickly became a controversy. Ms. Hong was worried about safety, while Mr. Thanh thought his wife was "too worried".
He said it's okay to keep it in a sealed can, but I still feel insecure. Gasoline is flammable, not something that can be kept in the house like food," she said.
Ms. Hong's family story takes place right at the time when gasoline and oil prices increased sharply after only two consecutive adjustments.
According to information from the inter-Ministry of Industry and Trade - Finance, from 3:00 PM on March 7, 2026, gasoline and oil prices will continue to be adjusted to increase compared to the previous operating period.
E5 RON92 gasoline increased to 25, 226 VND/liter, an increase of 3, 777 VND/liter; RON95-III gasoline increased to 27, 047 VND/liter, an increase of 4, 707 VND/liter.
Oil items also increased sharply. Diesel oil 0.05S is priced at 30. 239 VND/liter (up 7. 207 VND/liter); kerosene 35. 091 VND/liter (up 8. 490 VND/liter); mazut oil 180CST 3.5S is at 21,327 VND/kg, up 3,831 VND/kg.
In this operating period, the regulator does not make provisions or use the gasoline and oil price stabilization fund.
Notably, just two days before that (March 5), gasoline and oil prices also increased sharply. At that time, E5 RON92 gasoline was at 21,449 VND/liter, and RON95-III gasoline was 22,340 VND/liter.
The continuous increase in fuel prices in the short term has caused many people to worry that travel and living costs will continue to escalate.
Mr. Thanh said that when reading the news that gasoline prices increased by more than 4,000 VND/liter in the new adjustment, he even thought that buying backup gasoline was reasonable.
I just think it's like when rice prices increase, people buy a little more to save," he said.
But for Ms. Hong, storing gasoline in the house is not a solution.
Ms. Hong shared: "Saving a few tens of thousands, but if an incident occurs, the consequences will be very serious. I can't be assured when there is such a can of gasoline in the house.
After a while of arguing, Mr. Thanh finally agreed to send that gasoline to a relative's garage.
According to fire prevention experts, gasoline is a volatile liquid and very flammable, so storing it in the living space without ensuring safety can pose many risks.
In family life, price fluctuations sometimes also create small conflicts. One person wants to save by all means, the other prioritizes safety.
After that day, I told my husband that if I worry about gas money, I can limit unnecessary trips. And storing gasoline at home, I really don't dare," Ms. Hong said.
