Call on SEB to hold open talks explaining recent hike in electricity charges

KUCHING (Oct 2): Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) needs to hold open discussions with the local communities to explain the recent increase in electricity charges, which many consumers have attributed to the switch from traditional to smart meters.

In making this call, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii says the hike has raised concerns among the local consumers, including small business owners, who are feeling the financial strain.

“I would like to propose for Sarawak Energy to have an open dialogue with the residents in Kuching to address the rising concern over the sudden surge in the electricity bills.

“They should also be compassionate and address possible miscalculations so as to not burden the small business owners and also residents in our constituency.

“Recently, my office received some feedback about the surge in electricity bills after Sarawak Energy had replaced the consumers’ electricity meters with smart meters, resulting in an increase (in charges) of about 30 per cent.

“In a recent case that was referred to me, a user reported that after switching to a smart meter, the electricity consumption for a small business shop surged to 12,788 KWH over a 44-day period, amounting to a shocking bill of RM4,136.33.

“This is beyond reasonable logic and not proportionate to the previous charges based on the constant usage,” said the MP in a statement today.

In this regard, Dr Yii questioned: “Is this surge in electricity charges due to a fault in the smart meters, or is it caused by human error, such as incorrect meter reading being entered into the billing system?”

In calling upon the SEB to explain these issues and restore public confidence in the corporation’s pricing policy through open dialogues, he also wanted to offer assistance through Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak, to users experiencing these billing issues.

“The DAP Sarawak is ready to assist users facing similar concerns. Feel free to contact my special assistant, George Lam, via 011-2518 1872 for any assistance,” said Dr Yii.