Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung - Chairman of Vietnam Consumer Protection Association
Reporter: Dear Sir, how do you evaluate the impact of this adjustment of the average retail electricity price on consumers?
Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung: Everyone sees that the input costs for electricity production are increasing. If electricity prices are not adjusted promptly, they will cause many difficulties for the Electricity industry.
For customers, adjusting electricity prices is an additional expense. However, from the consumer perspective, I see that, when adjusting electricity prices, the State as well as the electricity industry always aim to protect and support low-income people. Specifically, the adjustment of the average retail electricity price for this time, for electricity consumers at levels 1 and 2 (the majority of them are low-income people), the adjusted price is still below the average electricity price.
Reporter: As you have shared, adjusting electricity prices will have an impact on consumers. So what do you recommend to customers in using electricity?
Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung: Electricity is a special commodity, for which the State applies a step price policy to encourage consumers to use electricity economically; The more you use electricity, the higher the electricity price is. However, in reality, there is still a very wasteful use of electricity.
It is determined that electricity is a national asset, in recent times, the Vietnam Consumer Protection Association has always recommended that consumers save electricity and avoid waste anytime, anywhere. We should limit electricity use during peak hours; Turn off power when not needed; Carefully choose devices that consume less energy, and so on.
Reporter: Thank you!