Tawau power supply disruptions reduced by 21%
TAWAU: Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) has strengthened its electricity supply in Tawau with reduced power supply disruption by 21 per cent over a period of two years by developing its transmission and distribution system infrastructures.
Deputy Higher Education Minister cum Tawau member of parliamentary Datuk Dr. Mary Yap Kain Ching said almost all of the electricity supply needs in Tawau were being imported from the west coast through the East West 275kV transmission line.
SESB should always ensure the sustainability of its power supply apart from developing electricity supply infrastructures in order to provide the best service to consumers, Mary said at SESB Open Day
at Eastern Plaza here yesterday afternoon. Also present was SESB senior general manager (Asset Management) Ir Mohd Yaakob Jaafar.
According to her, many may not realize that the cost of electricity supply in Sabah is much higher than the tariff rates imposed on consumers.
She said the cost of electricity supply was 44.30 cent / kWh while the average tariff rate charged to consumers was 34.52 cent / kWh.
The total subsidy allocated by the federal government amounted to RM2.65 billion from 2012 to 2016, she said.
Besides, the federal government has also provided rebates of RM20 to domestic consumers throughout Malaysia. Last year, the rebate had benefited a total of 6,214 users in Tawau, amounting to RM70,257
The federal government also provides a tariff adjustment (or discount) of 1.20 cent / kWh for electricity usage exceeding 300kWh in Sabah. Last year, it benefited a total of 28,312 consumers in Tawau, costing RM475,429.00.
With the collaboration of the federal and state governments, she believed SAIDI Sabah could be reduced to 100 minutes per customer per year by 2020.