KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — Umno has urged the relevant authority to give bulk discounts on electricity bills without a complicated calculation formula based on the latest readings as the government’s initiative to help people in the short term.

Umno Information chief, Shahril Hamdan said Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) was urged to provide continuous clarification on the calculation of consumers’ electricity bills so that they are not confused.

“Any complaints made by consumers should be examined as best as possible to prevent them from feeling cheated and ignored.

“At the same time, we welcome the easy payment plan introduced by TNB to ensure that people are able to pay their electricity bills in line with the current situation today,” he said in a statement today.

Shahril said the the original idea of giving discounts according to the monthly usage amount was correct in its concept but the reality of implementation may not be appropriate in this short-term scenario.

“This is because during the movement control order (MCO) that came into effect following the outbreak of Covid-19, people were confined to their homes and this had a direct impact on electricity consumption — including on those from the B40 and M40 households.

“The people complying with the government’s directive to stay at home to break the Covid-19 transmission chain is the reason why electricity consumption in households (domestic consumers) is higher than normal.

“When the actual reading was done by TNB, the electricity bill was higher than the normal usage before the MCO, which is causing consumers more anxiety in this challenging and uncertain economic environment,” he said.

“We greatly appreciate the proactive actions of Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Shamsul Anuar Nasarah and TNB chairman Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid in addressing the people’s complaints.” — Bernama