KUCHING: The Sarawak government has announced the extension of its assistance package, Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance (BKSS) on the electricity bill.
According to Utility and Telecommunication Minister Datuk Julaihi Narawi, this assistance will take effect from July 1 to Dec 31.
He added that the state government will offer monthly electricity bill discounts of up to 25 per cent for domestic consumers, up to 15 per cent for small commercial traders, and up to 10 per cent for small industrial consumers during the specified period.
“The discount will benefit 700,000 account holders throughout Sarawak. The total cost of this electricity bill discount amounts to RM203.7 million which will be borne by the state government,” he said during a press conference on BKSS at the Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA) Tower here today.
Following this, he explained that discounts on electricity consumption from July to October 2023 will be reflected in the December 2023 bill. Discounts for November 2023 consumption will appear in the December 2023 bill, while discounts for December 2023 consumption will be reflected in the January 2024 bill.
“Sarawak Energy Berhad’s special task force will make appropriate adjustments and bill calculations so that customers can receive their discounts starting from July 2023,” he said.
Julaihi added that small traders such as workshops, kopitiams, shops, restaurants, and hawker stalls can apply for a discount on their monthly bills by submitting an application to Sarawak Energy until Dec 31 of the same year.
He pointed out that the eligibility for this discount is dependent on electricity consumption not exceeding 30,000kWh for the period from July 1 to Dec 31, 2023, and is limited to users of tariff categories C1 (normal commercial business) and 11 (normal industry).
“That means 5,000 kWh per month on average. The capping is 30,000 kWh for a period of six months,” he clarified.
Following this, he noted that the government has spent around RM1.15 billion on this initiative since it was first introduced on April 1, 2020, to June 30, 2023.
Furthermore, he reminded consumers who received electricity bills based on estimates to contact Sarawak Energy Berhad to make bill adjustments in order to enjoy the discount value they deserve.
“Customers need to provide supporting documents such as photos of estimated bills and actual meter readings.
Applications can be made through the ‘Make a Report’ function at SEB Cares, by calling Sarawak Energy Customer Service at 1300-88-3111, emailing customercare@sarawakenergy.com, or visiting the Sarawak Energy Customer Service Counter directly.
