Many find a drop in latest electricity bills

New tariff structure, energy saving efforts credited

PETALING JAYA: Despite concerns over higher electricity bills following revised tariffs, consumers nationwide say their monthly charges have dropped, even with similar usage levels.

In the Klang Valley, business executive J. Chandran, 32, said his July electricity bill was only around RM60, despite using the air-conditioning more frequently.

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“Because of the heat, I had it on more often during weekends and at night. I was expecting a much higher bill, but it was cheaper than I thought,” he said, adding that he plans to remain cautious with his usage to avoid a sudden spike.

In BALIK PULAU, PENANG, single mother Suzana Mat, 46, said her monthly electricity bill had dropped by about 50% compared to June.

“Before this, my bill hovered around RM180 to RM200 a month, especially with the air-conditioner on at night.

“But this month, it is only about RM100. It is a huge help, as I can use the money for groceries and school expenses,” said Suzana, who lives with her mother and five school-going children in Gertak Sanggul.

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Pensioner Badiah Ahmad, 68, also noticed a significant drop in her monthly bill.

Her June bill was RM118, while the most recent bill – for just 19 days of usage – came to about RM59.

“The new tariff structure has eased the burden for those of us who depend on a fixed income.

“At my age, every ringgit saved counts. I hope this rate remains for the next few years,” she added.

A check with several hotels found that some have yet to receive their new cycle of electricity bills.

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Prestige Hotel general manager Melvin Ooi said the hotel’s energy-saving committee is actively working to control unnecessary power consumption for its daily operations.

In JOHOR, contractor Zipo A. Aziz, 51, said his electricity bill also decreased.

“I actually do not understand the panic over price hikes because I just received my electric bill and it was lower which is RM35.72, compared to RM49.57, last month,” he said, adding that his household’s electricity consumption remains below 600kWh.

In NEGRI SEMBILAN, Ramesh Patel who runs the Vivekananda Home in Rembau said the centre’s latest monthly bill has come down to RM677.

“Our April bill was RM877, and it was RM839 in May.

“When we heard that the tariffs were going up, we started taking steps to be more prudent,” he said, adding that this led to the bill for June dropping to RM706.

Ramesh said among the measures taken were to get the ironing of clothes done at one go and to reduce the number of lights switched on at any time of the day.

“I believe that our bill became lower after we took heed of advice from Tenaga Nasional staff to do our ironing and laundry during off-peak hours.

“We will continue to do that so we can save some money as the centre runs on public donations,” he said.

In Seremban, Tong Sim Old Folks Home secretary Jessie Chan said their July bill had gone up slightly despite the centre taking steps to reduce usage.

She said the bill for the first six months of the year averaged RM300, but it went up to RM328 in July.

“We have asked the residents to conserve energy so that we can reduce the amount we pay for electricity,” Chan said.