Electricity prices during peak hours are nearly 3 times higher than during low hours
According to Decision No. 1279 dated May 9, 2025 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, retail electricity prices according to peak hours, off-peak hours and normal hours are applied to production and business customers with different prices depending on the voltage level.
Price analysis shows a large difference between peak and off-peak hours, especially for large business and production customers using electricity.
In the group of business customers using voltage from 22kV and above, the electricity price at peak hours is 1,609 VND/kWh, while at peak hours it is up to 5,0025 VND/kWh, about 3.12 times higher.
For customers using voltage from 6kV to under 22kV, the peak hour electricity price is 5,202 VND/kWh, about 2.84 times higher than the 1,829 VND/kWh level of the low hour.
Notably, the group of business customers using voltage below 6kV - mainly small businesses, stores and service establishments - are experiencing the highest peak hour price, up to 5,422 VND/kWh. This level is about 2.83 times higher than the low hour price of 1,918 VND/kWh.
According to Decision 963 issued on April 22, 2026 by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the new peak hours are applied from 5:30 PM to 10:30 PM on Mondays to Saturdays. Compared to before, peak hours are completely concentrated in the evening - the time when electricity demand increases the most during the day.
Faced with the large difference between electricity prices during peak and off-peak hours, some businesses have calculated adjusting operating hours and rearranging production shifts to reduce electricity costs.
Minimize electricity use during peak hours
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Tran Minh Xuan - Deputy General Director of Vietnam Steel Joint Stock Company Vinasteel (VNSTEEL) said that the enterprise will consider adjusting the production plan to limit electricity costs in the context of high peak hour electricity prices.
According to Mr. Xuan, when operating production, the company will develop a plan to minimize the use of electricity during peak hours. "When producing, we will have a plan to adjust working hours to minimize the use of electricity during peak hours. There are stages of the steel industry that cannot completely avoid operating during this time frame, but businesses will choose and arrange to minimize as much as possible," Mr. Xuan said.
Representatives of VNSTEEL said that for light manufacturing industries, businesses can be more flexible in using alternative energy sources such as solar or renewable energy. However, for heavy industries such as steel production, this is almost inappropriate due to high requirements for the stability of power sources.
The heavy industry is required to use stable and standard power sources to ensure continuous operation of the production line. Therefore, the most appropriate solution today is to adjust production time, working time and rest time to limit electricity use during peak hours," Mr. Xuan shared.
Not only businesses, business households are also starting to worry about increased electricity costs when peak hours fall right at the time of evening operations.
Ms. Nguyen Thu Huong - owner of a beverage and fast food store on Xuan La street (Tay Ho, Hanoi) said that evening is the busiest time, so the store has to operate many electrical consumption devices such as air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers, ice makers, lighting systems and ventilation fans continuously.
The peak hours are right when the store operates most actively, so it is very difficult to reduce electricity use. If you limit turning on the air conditioner or reduce equipment, customers will be uncomfortable, and if operating normally, electricity costs will definitely increase," Ms. Huong said.
According to Ms. Huong, in the coming time, the store will try to move some activities such as making ice, preliminary processing and food preservation to late or early morning hours to reduce electricity consumption during peak hours.
