The EVNCPC CSKH app. From April 1, electricity bill notifications for households in HCM City will only be sent through this app. — Photo Courtesy from EVNHCMC

HCM CITY — Accelerating digital transformation is one of the key goals that HCM City’s electricity sector aims to achieve this year, according to the HCM City Power Corporation (EVNHCMC).

As Việt Nam strongly integrates into the world economy, companies are committed to green and sustainable development, and EVNHCMC is no exception, said the chairman of EVNHCMC's member boar, Phạm Quốc Bảo.

Boosting comprehensive digital transformation is the shortest roadmap for EVNHCMC to reach the goal of green and sustainable development, confirmed Bảo, adding that to date the city’s electricity sector has achieved initial success.

For instance, he mentioned that EVNHCMC's transformation into a digital technology company by the end of 2022 has helped the company optimise production and business processes, and accurately and efficiently manage all aspects of company operations.

As a result, the company has been able to reduce costs, and save energy and resources through the effective management of enterprise risk factors. 

Digital transformation also brings long-term benefits to both businesses and customers to comprehensively address resource waste, and minimise energy consumption and environmental impact while better meeting customer needs by creating online experiences through Industry 4.0 technologies such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, and chatbots.

In addition, EVNHCMC continues to maintain and enhance the effectiveness of digital enterprise management, implementing a synchronised approach to carry out digital transformation in all areas of business operations, including electricity grid operation management, business and customer services, construction investment, internal governance, and information technology and telecommunications.

In an attempt to boost digital transformation, EVNHCMC has recently announced that starting from April 1, electricity bill notifications for households in HCM City will only be sent through the EVNHCMC customer service app, EVNHCMC CSKH, instead of the traditional channels.

According to EVNHCMC, households can download the EVNHCMC customer service app from the iOS App Store or Android's Play Store. They can then use their phone number to create a user account and enter the 13-character PE code to access their electricity bill information.

Developed since 2015, this app also allows users to report their electricity meter readings daily, view power cut schedules, and access other services. 

EVNHCMC is the first unit to completely eliminate traditional notification channels. In the past, electricity bill notifications were sent in the form of paper bills delivered to homes and via text messages to mobile phones.

In recent years, electricity providers in different localities have been sending notifications through channels like Zalo or apps if customers are using them instead of SMS to reduce costs. 

In Hà Nội, bills are still sent simultaneously through the Zalo channel.

According to EVNHCMC, this transformation aims to enhance customer service quality, provide comprehensive information on forms and content, move towards establishing complete customer care and strengthen the application of information technology to diversify communication forms with electricity customers.

In another development, EVNHCMC has specified that all customers in HCM City provide their electricity meter readings at the end of the month. Therefore, electricity bill payments are processed at the beginning of the month, from the second to the fifth day of each month according to EVNHCMC's guidelines.

During a press conference last week, EVNHCMC predicted that customers' electricity bills for March might be relatively higher compared to previous months due to increased demand as the dry season begins along with the El Nino weather phenomenon.

Throughout March, HCM City consumed over 2.43 billion kWh of electricity, marking a 1.17 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023. The highest consumption day was on March 27, reaching 94.5 million kWh, surpassing last year's record of 90.4 million kWh. 

Due to current weather conditions, EVNHCMC forecasts a new record high consumption in the next two months, exceeding 95 million kWh per day.

The city's power system currently maintains a power reserve capacity of 40-60 per cent depending on the voltage level, sufficient to meet electricity demand under all consumption growth scenarios, as stated by EVNHCMC.

However, localised overload situations, caused by sudden spikes in electricity usage in specific areas at the same time, cannot be ruled out. Therefore, EVNHCMC advises residents and businesses to implement energy-saving measures to alleviate the potential strain on the power system. — VNS