PUTRAJAYA: Malaysians are being urged to save energy and consider rooftop solar as electricity costs are set to rise, with hotter weather in May expected to push household usage even higher, says the Energy Commission (ST).
“We continue to encourage that, definitely. There are no direct government incentives for solar installations, but costs have come down significantly compared to previous years,” said ST chief executive officer Siti Safinah Salleh on Wednesday (April 1) during a press conference at Putrajaya.
“It (solar installations) is affordable depending on each household’s consumption. But it makes the most sense for households with higher electricity consumption and larger rooftops. For smaller homes with low consumption, the savings may not justify the installation cost," she said.
She added that ST does not regulate solar prices, but competition among companies was growing.
“There is competition, and companies that offer solar installations offer incentives to their customers.
“We use the market mechanism to encourage competition, which benefits consumers. We also give suggestions to developers on this.”
Speaking on the country’s energy supply, Siti said it's stable, especially electricity and gas, so Malaysia has not been heavily affected by the current crisis so far.
“We import a little gas and 100% of coal from other countries. As a result, costs will rise from three things, which are the market price of coal, shipping costs and insurance.
“Although our increase may not be as significant as in other countries, there is still an increase," she said.
Siti Safinah said that steps that could be taken include saving money, buying energy‑efficient goods, and reviewing our energy use at home.
“For electricity generation, most of the natural gas used is domestic. Therefore, the increase is not too significant.
“However, about 20% is imported, mainly from Australia. The price of natural gas is linked to coal prices, so when coal rises, we feel the effect,” she said.
