Many fearful of paying the high price to cool down

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians are beginning to feel the heat – literally.

With temperatures soaring up to 34°C in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur yesterday, residents are torn between switching on the air-conditioner for comfort or saving on their electricity bill.

The dilemma has also seen some choosing to work from public air-conditioned premises as a cheaper alternative.

Digital marketeer Tee Yi Yang, 24, said the hot weather for the past few days saw him turning on the air-conditioner at midday for about 30 minutes.

“The weather was exceptionally hot even though the fan was on, so I turned on the air-conditioner temporarily to cool the room.

“If the weather persists, however, I may consider heading back to the office or working from air-conditioned premises such as cafes,” he said, adding that this was a cheaper alternative than turning on the air-conditioner at home for extended periods.

Electronics retail supervisor James Tho Wai Hoe, 30, said the heat can be felt all the way into the night.

“I usually turn on the air-conditioner for about an hour before going to bed, but these past few days I’ve had it on for an additional 30 minutes.

“Although the heat makes things very uncomfortable at night, the thought of high electricity bills scares me more,” he said, adding that he would wake up occasionally drenched in sweat due to the heat.

A media executive who wanted to be known only as Johari, 27, urged his housemates to get additional standing fans instead of using the air-conditioner throughout the day.

“Although it makes our workspace at home more comfortable, it can cause our electricity bill to spike,” he said.

Psychology undergraduate Aida Syafiqah Suhairi, 23, chose to finish her assignments at the university library.

“I have been at the library from 9am to 5pm since April as the heat made it unbearable to work at home. It has also been exceptionally hot these past few days,” she said, hoping for some rain.

She added that her housemates have also chipped in money to buy a standing fan in case the weather became increasingly hot in the coming weeks.

A freelancer known as Kitt also refrained from turning on the air-conditioner during working hours for fear of a high electricity bill.

“My room does get stuffy especially when the weather becomes very hot, so I turn on the air-conditioner only as a last resort.

“Given that I live with four other family members at home, we try to minimise electrical expenses as much as possible and only turn on the living room air-conditioner for about an hour after dinner daily,” she said.