Urgently deploying electricity price cuts, sharing difficulties with customers

Covid-19 pandemic has continued getting complicated, significantly affecting socio-economic development and people's lives. In the face of the situation, Binh Duong Power Company is urgently implementing electricity price cuts to support customers affected by the pandemic for the fourth time.

Discounts on electricity price for daily life and anti-pandemic facilities

According to Nguyen Thanh Toan, Director of provincial Department of Industry and Trade, on June 8, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued a document on reducing electricity prices and electricity bills for two customer groups. The first group is customers who use electricity for daily life from July 30, 2021 when the province has begin implementing social distancing under the Prime Minister’s Directive No.16/CT-TTg. Specifically, a 15 per cent reduction will be applied to electricity prices for households which have electricity consumption of up to 200kWh per month while households which have electricity consumption of more than 200kWh will receive a 10 per cent discount…The price cut will be applied for August and September, 2021.

A concentrated isolation area in the old Thu Dau Mot city’s Young Pioneer Organization is a group of customers who are supported in terms of electricity bill exemption and reduction

The second group to receive a 100% reduction in electricity bills is concentrated medical isolation facilities for Covid-19 prevention and control. The reductions willbe applied in seven months, for power bills from June to December this year. The National Steering Committee for Covid-19 prevention and control, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security and provincial People's Committee are responsible for providing the list of these facilities to power units.

In addition, the power sector will also continue implementing power price cuts for other subjects in accordance with the provisions of the Government’s Resolution No. 55/NQ-CP dated June 2, 2021.

Rapid implementation, right subjects

According to Mr. Toan, the implementation of the 4th electricity price reduction for electricity users affected by Covid-19 pandemic in the spirit of the Government’s Resolution No. 83/NQ-CP  is urgently being implemented by the sector of industry-trade and Binh Duong Power with transparence and publicity ensured.

Binh Duong Power Company said that the local power branches are actively working with functional agencies and local authorities to update the list of localities and medical isolation facilities to be reduced electricity bills in this stage in accordance with the regulations while promoting propaganda activities so that people understand about the Government's policy as well as the 4^th power price reduction program. Phan Thanh Lam, Deputy Director of Binh Duong Power Company said that the company has continued having specific implementation steps, especially the notes on reducing electricity prices and electricity bills for the fourth time. Leaders of the company have also directed the sales department to promptly answer questions by customers in the process of implementing power price reduction to ensure that the reduction is done in a timely manner.

Nguyen Van Dong, a resident in Thuan An city’s Binh Hoa ward said that workers have faced difficulties, due to the pandemic.  Reducing electricity bills at this time is really meaningful. “My family is very happy with this information and will quickly notify workers at my lodging facility of it while contacting relevant units to be able to get discounts for workers. The electricity price at this time shows the responsibility of the society, the sharing of the electricity sector with electricity users facing difficulties, due to the impact of the pandemic. The forth power price reduction of the Government is a timely and proper decision", said Mr.Dong.

In June and July, Binh Duong Power Company coordinated with provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to recheck and reduce electricity prices for 397 customers who are tourist accommodation establishments, with total reduction worth more than VND3.7 billion. The company is currently waiting for provincial People's Committee, Department of Industry and Trade, and Department of Health to provide the list of Covid-19 prevention and control facilities in order to apply the reduction under the regulations. It is expected that by the end of 2021, the total estimated amount of reduction for subjects in the third stage is VND 17.5 billion.

According to the company, the total number of customers using electricity for daily life to receive a reduction in electricity bills in the 4th electricity price reduction stage in August and Septermber is 490,617 with an estimated total reduction of more than VND100 billion.

Reported by Tieu My-Translated by K.T