Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) has introduced a relief package comprising an Easy Payment Plan (EPP) that offers surcharge waiver on late payment and an extension of supply disconnection suspension for its 7.5 million residential customers.

President and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said the initiative was to further cushion the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the people.

“Given the suspension of meter reading and the prolonged Movement Control Order (MCO), we are aware of our residential customers’ growing concerns over a possible spike in their bills once the actual meter reading is done.

“The EPP will be available automatically for all residential customers from the first actual monthly bill that they receive after TNB resumes meter reading operations from May 15,” he said in a statement today.

TNB temporarily halted its physical meter reading and billing during the MCO and replaced it with estimated bills based on the previous month’s bill amount.

Estimated bills are readily available through TNB digital channels, namely myTNB portal and app, as well as online banking platforms that customers have registered their bills as a payee.

Amir Hamzah said meter reading and rendering of bills will resume from May 15, starting with green zone states -- Perlis, Penang, Kedah, Perak (except Seri Manjung) and Kelantan.

Customers will receive their actual bills gradually where adjustments would be made to the previous estimated bills to reflect actual usage.

“When customers receive their first actual monthly bill, they can opt to either to make full payment or to pay the EPP amount.

“Payment information will be displayed in the yellow box on the top right-hand corner of the bill,” he said.

Amir Hamzah said EPP is an addition to the tiered discount of between two per cent and 50 per cent that TNB offers to its customers for electricity usage from April 1, 2020 until Sept 30, 2020.

He added that the surcharge waiver on late payment is until Sept 30, 2020 while the suspension of supply disconnection activity is until July 31, 2020.

-- BERNAMA