DAP man seeks a win-win approach on SEB’s electricity billing issues

SIBU (Oct 11): Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) ought to look into the customers’ complaints on higher electricity bills resulting from the installation of new smart meters, said Democratic Action Party (DAP) Dudong Baru branch chairman Stanley Chiew.

Chiew, who is also the political secretary to Lanang MP Alice Lau, raised this concern following the complaints received from the residents here in regard to the SEB’s initiative.

According to Chiew, he was informed that the complainants had received notices on arrears charges from SEB and this happened upon having their new smart meters installed.

“These notices lack a detailed breakdown of the charges or clarification on the period being billed and if the users wish to understand the specifics, they must write to SEB,” he said.

This process, he added, had caused much inconvenience to the customers, especially the elderly group in particular.

He acknowledged that the installation of new smart meters had provided precise, up-to-date record on electricity use and helped prevent electricity theft but he was also of the view that this replacement process should not have caused unnecessary inconvenience to users in the first place.

“It is unfair to hold users entirely responsible when issues arise, such as slow readings due to old or faulty meters, and to retroactively bill them for up to three years of consumption.

“Of course, if there is evidence of tampering with the meters or involvement in electricity theft, then that would be a different case,” he pointed out.

To avoid disruptions caused by power cuts, he said most customers had ‘reluctantly’ paid the so-called arrears, often without understanding the details.

SEB as a government-linked company and the sole electricity provider in the state should exempt users who request for meter replacements from paying any arrears charges resulting from old or faulty meters, he said.

“All electricity policies should prioritise the welfare of the people and address these concerns effectively,” he added.

Meanwhile, SEB in a recent statement explained that during any replacement and installation of smart meters, the final reading of the replaced meter is recorded as it registers the actual consumption of consumers.

“Customers with long-term overestimated bills will see a noticeable decrease, while those with long-term underestimated bills will experience a significant increase,” it explained, adding that SEB is offering flexible instalment payment plans to assist customers with managing previous unbilled charges.