Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s (TNB) prorated method in calculating electricity bills is also adopted by utility companies in other countries such as Australia and those in Europe, reported Bernama.
TNB chief retail officer Megat Jalaluddin Megat Hassan said the prorated method would ensure that consumers do not get overcharged, as the tariff block rates are based on monthly usage rather than on the accumulated consumption over the billing period spanning three to four months.
“Let’s say the electricity usage amounted to 1,400 kilowatt-hours (kWh). We would then divide 1,400kWh by four months – March, April, May and June. That will give us the monthly average, which is 350kWh,” he said in an interview on TV3’s “Buletin Utama” programme.
The method is also checked and approved by the Energy Commission, he said.
The electricity consumption in the residential sector is estimated to see a 20% to 50% increase during the movement control order period, therefore consumers should be prepared to see higher actual readings than the estimated bills, said Megat Jalaluddin.
He added that should the electricity consumption be lower during the MCO period, the additional charges would be credited back to the consumers. – June 3, 2020
