From October 26, the new electricity price calculation method according to Circular 25 will be applied.

For new wholesale electricity buyers whose current wholesale electricity price deduction level has not been determined, the Ministry of Industry and Trade provides guidance on determining specific wholesale electricity price deduction levels.

This content is specifically regulated in Circular No. 25/2018/TT-BCT of the Ministry of Industry and Trade on amending and supplementing a number of articles of Circular No. 16/2014/TT-BCT dated May 29, 2014 of the Minister of Industry and Trade regulating the implementation of electricity prices. This Circular will take effect from October 26.

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Also in this Circular, the Ministry of Industry and Trade added the content of applying electricity prices to urban areas and high-rise apartments. Accordingly, for urban areas and high-rise apartments, the investor has handed over the house to the customer but has not completed the procedures for asset settlement to hand over the power grid to the electricity industry for management during the time waiting for the power grid handover and the electricity customer, the two parties buying and selling electricity based on the actual electricity usage situation to agree on the ratio of electricity output applying the retail price of household electricity and the electricity output applying the retail price of electricity for purposes other than household purposes (production, business, administrative work) as the basis for applying the electricity price.

For electricity used for domestic purposes, the electricity price is applied according to the general standard principle of the electricity buyer, which is the standard of each level multiplied by the number of households using electricity for domestic purposes (based on the actual purpose of electricity use, house purchase contract, apartment handover minutes, household registration book, temporary residence book or temporary residence confirmation document of the local police agency).

This Circular also clearly states that in cases of renting houses to students and workers (the tenant is not a household), with a rental contract of 12 months or more and a temporary residence registration, the landlord directly signs the electricity purchase contract or the tenant's representative signs the electricity purchase contract (with the landlord's commitment to pay the electricity bill).

In case students and workers rent a house with a lease term of less than 12 months, if the landlord cannot fully declare the number of electricity users, the retail price of household electricity of level 3 from 101 - 200 kWh will be applied for the entire electricity output measured at the meter.

In addition, if the homeowner fully declares the number of people using electricity, the electricity seller is responsible for providing the homeowner with a quota based on the temporary residence book or temporary residence confirmation document from the local police agency.

Accordingly, every 4 people are counted as 1 household using electricity to calculate the quota applied to the retail price of household electricity. Specifically, 1 person is counted as 1/4 of the quota, 2 people are counted as 1/2 of the quota, 3 people are counted as 3/4 of the quota, 4 people are counted as 1 quota.

When there is a change in the number of tenants, the landlord is responsible for notifying the electricity seller to adjust the electricity bill calculation rate.

The electricity seller has the right to check and request the electricity buyer to present the monthly temporary residence registration book to determine the number of people to be counted when calculating the electricity bill.