How are electricity prices calculated during peak and off-peak hours?
According to Decision 963 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued at the end of April, peak hours are concentrated in the evening from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm daily, and low hours are 0-6 am.
This change has not yet been applied in practice by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, so peak hours are still divided into 2 frames as before (9:30-11:30 and 5:00-10:00 daily, except Sunday), and low hours are 10:00-4:00.
Talking to Lao Dong, Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoach (energy expert of the Scientific Council of Vietnam Energy Magazine) said that if you look at the Vietnamese electricity system a decade ago, peak loads often appeared during the day, associated with industrial production activities.
However, the reality today has changed clearly. The rapid development of solar power, daytime supply has become more abundant, while the demand for household electricity consumption has increased sharply in the evening, especially during hot months.
When the sun goes out, the system loses an important supply, while millions of households simultaneously use air conditioners, electrical equipment and other living needs. The time from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm has become a new "tense point" of the power system.
If the old time frame is still maintained, the system will have to bear very large costs, without regulatory tools from users. Therefore, adjusting the time frame is not only necessary, but also mandatory.
According to Decision 963: Peak hours are concentrated in the evening - from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm on Mondays to Saturdays, while Sundays no longer apply peak hours. Normal hours are significantly extended, while off-peak hours continue to be maintained from midnight to 6 am.
Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoach said that this adjustment, technically, is reasonable. But in terms of consumer behavior, it creates a very large change: Electricity costs no longer depend solely on the amount of electricity consumed, but depend on the time of electricity use.
For the manufacturing sector, the impact of the new regulation is even clearer. Electricity is not just an input cost, but becomes a factor that needs to be optimized over time.
A business operating a production line during peak hours will have to pay significantly higher costs than a business reorganizing a production shift overnight. This difference, if accumulated monthly and annually, can create a large difference in financial efficiency.
Many businesses have begun to adjust - from shifting production to investing in solar power systems and energy storage, in order to reduce dependence on peak hours.
For the service industry (restaurants, hotels, or shopping centers), it is not easy to shift operating hours. The evening is the "golden hour" for business; and also the peak hour for electricity.
However, the solution is not to cut operations, but to optimize operation. Central air conditioning systems, lighting, elevators, or electric stoves can be adjusted more intelligently to reduce peak power, thereby reducing costs.
The question is how to avoid increasing electricity bills? , Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoach said - the answer is not to drastically cut down on electricity demand, but to re-allocate usage time. Some small changes in daily life can create significant differences in costs.
Washing or drying clothes can be switched to before peak hours, or later in the evening. Hot water bottles can be set to a timer. High-capacity devices should not operate simultaneously during peak hours. Air conditioning, instead of setting temperatures too low, can be reasonably adjusted to reduce system overload.
For businesses, optimization needs to be more systematic - from energy management to technology investment. In the long term, solutions (such as power storage, or load control) will become an inevitable trend.
Request to apply immediately in June
The Ministry of Industry and Trade said that according to the provisions of Clause 1, Article 21 of Circular No. 60/2025/TT-BCT of the Minister of Industry and Trade on the implementation of electricity selling prices, regulations on peak and off-peak hours and normal hours of the national power system according to Decision No. 963/QD-BCT have not been applied in practice.
Currently, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is studying and amending relevant legal regulations to soon deploy the application of peak hours, off-peak hours and normal hours of the national power system according to Decision No. 963/QD-BCT.
Meanwhile, the National Power System and Electricity Market Operation Company (NSMO) proposed to apply the new peak hour (17:30-22:30) and peak hour (0:00-6:00) daily in June, except for Sundays.
This is because the electricity system in the North and the whole country is facing major challenges when affected by the El Nino phenomenon, widespread heat, increased electricity demand and a tendency to shift to the evening time (20:00-23:00). This level is even higher than during the daytime peak, putting great pressure on the regulation and operation of the national power system.
In addition, the evening peak hour is also a period when the system is under very high pressure, due to the lack of solar power support, many small hydropower plants also do not have enough water to generate electricity.
Electricity usage hours are an important basis for calculating electricity prices over time. Usually, peak hours have the highest price, low hours have the lowest price, in order to encourage customers to shift their electricity consumption needs.
