2011/05/31 By R. Sittamparam and Sean Augustin news@nst.com.my
4.4 million out of the 5.94 million households which used less than 300kWh or RM77 a month, would not see any increase in their bills.
The government yesterday announced that consumers will pay 2.23 sen per kilowatt hour (kWh) more for electricity, or 33.54 sen per kWh, effective tomorrow. This follows the revision of gas prices for the power sector from RM10.70 per Million Metric British Thermal unit (MMBtu) to RM13.70/MMBtu.
Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui said 4.4 million out of the 5.94 million households which used less than 300kWh or RM77 a month, would not see any increase in their bills.
This means that the 3.3 million consumers who benefit from this will continue to enjoy the rate.
“The 1.1 million domestic consumers who use between 201 and 300kWh a month, will not be affected, too,” said Chin, who announced the new power tariffs at a joint press conference with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop here.
He said a total of 1.39 million consumers using between 301kWh and 1,000kWh a month would see an increase of between seven sen and RM30.30, or 0.1 per cent to 10 per cent, in the monthly bills.
Chin said commercial consumers, including retailers, shopkeepers and small restaurant operators using less than 200kWh of electricity per month, would see a maximum increase of 6.2 per cent, or RM4.60 a month. Low voltage industrial users, including smalltime food processing industries which use less than 200kWh a month, would see a maximum increase of 6.2 per cent, or RM4 per month.
This sector will continue enjoying a lower tariff from the normal industrial tariff rate, although this will be reduced in stages in line with the government’s policy to encourage energy efficiency among industries.” Chin said besides considering the effect of the gas price hike, the government had allowed Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) to review its base tariffs upwards by two per cent in view of the increase in the company’s power supply cost. TNB will also give a 10 per cent discount on the normal tariff rate to learning institutions which are partially or RM4.60 a month. Low voltage industrial users including small-time food processing industries which use less than 200kWh a month will see a maximum increase of 6.2 per cent, or RM4 per month.
“The special industrial tariff provided for industries whose electricity bills account for more than five per cent of their overall operating cost will remain.
“This sector will continue enjoying a lower tariff from the normal industrial tariff rate although this will be reduced in stages in line with the gover nment’s policy to encourage energy efficiency among industries.” Chin said besides considering the effect of the gas price hike, the government had allowed Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) to review its base tariff upwards by two per cent in view of the increase in the company’s power supply cost.
TNB will also give a 10 per cent discount on the normal tariff rate to learning institutions funded by the gover nment. “TNB is expected to invest about RM4.5 billion a year to upgrade its infrastr ucture.” Chin said the government had also decided to charge an additional one per cent fee in consumers’ bills to be channelled to the renewable energy fund.
Power tariffs will be reviewed every six months in tandem with the movement in gas prices, he said.
“How many of them use electricity to fry their kuey teow (flat rice noodles) or rice? “Nor is electricity used to boil water for teh tarik and other drinks,” Chin said, adding that food prices did not just depend on electricity alone.
On the new gas price for the power sector, Nor Mohamed said the country still enjoyed a lower rate compared with its neighbours.
He said power producers in Singapore paid the highest amount at RM43.22 per MMBtu, followed by those in Indonesia (RM21.04), Vietnam (RM18.78) and Thailand (RM18.23).
The price of gas supplied to industries, meanwhile, has been raised by RM1 to RM16.07 per MMBtu.
The hike, Nor Mohamed said, was quite reasonable, seeing that Singaporeans paid RM133.45 per MMBtu, while Thailand and Indonesia paid RM19.46 and RM18.74 respectively.
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| Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui (left) confers with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop during the joint press conference in Putrajaya yesterday to announce the new power tariffs. — NST picture by Afendi Mohamed |
PUTRAJAYA: Power rates are going up but 75 per cent of 5.94 million households nationwide will not be affected.
The government yesterday announced that consumers will pay 2.23 sen per kilowatt hour (kWh) more for electricity, or 33.54 sen per kWh, effective tomorrow. This follows the revision of gas prices for the power sector from RM10.70 per Million Metric British Thermal unit (MMBtu) to RM13.70/MMBtu.
Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui said 4.4 million out of the 5.94 million households which used less than 300kWh or RM77 a month, would not see any increase in their bills.
The 200kWh lifeline band for low-income consumers, currently fixed at 21.8 sen per kilowatt, is retained.
This means that the 3.3 million consumers who benefit from this will continue to enjoy the rate.
“The 1.1 million domestic consumers who use between 201 and 300kWh a month, will not be affected, too,” said Chin, who announced the new power tariffs at a joint press conference with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop here.
Chin said the government would continue to provide free electricity to 900,000 low-income consumers who use less than RM20 worth of electricity a month until Dec 31. This would cost the government a total of RM122 million.
He said a total of 1.39 million consumers using between 301kWh and 1,000kWh a month would see an increase of between seven sen and RM30.30, or 0.1 per cent to 10 per cent, in the monthly bills.
Chin said commercial consumers, including retailers, shopkeepers and small restaurant operators using less than 200kWh of electricity per month, would see a maximum increase of 6.2 per cent, or RM4.60 a month. Low voltage industrial users, including smalltime food processing industries which use less than 200kWh a month, would see a maximum increase of 6.2 per cent, or RM4 per month.
“The special industrial tariff provided for industries, whose electricity bills account for more than five per cent of their overall operation cost, will remain.
This sector will continue enjoying a lower tariff from the normal industrial tariff rate, although this will be reduced in stages in line with the government’s policy to encourage energy efficiency among industries.” Chin said besides considering the effect of the gas price hike, the government had allowed Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) to review its base tariffs upwards by two per cent in view of the increase in the company’s power supply cost. TNB will also give a 10 per cent discount on the normal tariff rate to learning institutions which are partially or RM4.60 a month. Low voltage industrial users including small-time food processing industries which use less than 200kWh a month will see a maximum increase of 6.2 per cent, or RM4 per month.
“The special industrial tariff provided for industries whose electricity bills account for more than five per cent of their overall operating cost will remain.
“This sector will continue enjoying a lower tariff from the normal industrial tariff rate although this will be reduced in stages in line with the gover nment’s policy to encourage energy efficiency among industries.” Chin said besides considering the effect of the gas price hike, the government had allowed Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) to review its base tariff upwards by two per cent in view of the increase in the company’s power supply cost.
TNB will also give a 10 per cent discount on the normal tariff rate to learning institutions funded by the gover nment. “TNB is expected to invest about RM4.5 billion a year to upgrade its infrastr ucture.” Chin said the government had also decided to charge an additional one per cent fee in consumers’ bills to be channelled to the renewable energy fund.
Power tariffs will be reviewed every six months in tandem with the movement in gas prices, he said.
The government, he said, was aware that the revised rates would have a direct and indirect impact on the public. He, however, said while food prices were not likely to be affected, commercial food operators may charge about 10 per cent more for their products and services.
“How many of them use electricity to fry their kuey teow (flat rice noodles) or rice? “Nor is electricity used to boil water for teh tarik and other drinks,” Chin said, adding that food prices did not just depend on electricity alone.
On the new gas price for the power sector, Nor Mohamed said the country still enjoyed a lower rate compared with its neighbours.
He said power producers in Singapore paid the highest amount at RM43.22 per MMBtu, followed by those in Indonesia (RM21.04), Vietnam (RM18.78) and Thailand (RM18.23).
The price of gas supplied to industries, meanwhile, has been raised by RM1 to RM16.07 per MMBtu.
The hike, Nor Mohamed said, was quite reasonable, seeing that Singaporeans paid RM133.45 per MMBtu, while Thailand and Indonesia paid RM19.46 and RM18.74 respectively.
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