TOKYO: Malaysia is transitioning to the use of digital meters to record electricity charges as it is more accurate, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“We are now using the better meter ... In some cases, there is a reduction in payment and it has nothing to do with the price of petrol ... it’s the meter.
“Some will have a lower charge, some the same, and some have to pay more,” he told reporters at a press conference in wrapping up his three-day working visit to Japan today.
Dr Mahathir said there were many reasons for the higher electricity bills, including increased consumption, and therefore it was recorded.
“Now, the recording of the electricity is centralised and no longer done by the meter reader every three months or so,” he added.
Of late, many complaints of overcharging in respect of Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s (TNB) electricity bills, have been lodged by unhappy customers with the Energy Commission (ST). It also came on the heels of TNB having installed what it calls smart meters in homes to replace the old meters.
Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin also instructed the ST to investigate the consumer complaints about the higher than normal electricity bills.
For the month of May alone, more than 300 complaints nationwide were lodged with the ST, which is 10 times more than the same month last year. - Bernama
