Just yesterday (9 April), a netizen named Reez took to Facebook to warn others not to tamper with their electric meters like how she did, because Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) managed to find out and slapped her with a hefty fine! Oh no!
Here’s the brief translation of what she wrote.
“Two years ago, our family installed an ‘electricity-saving device’ on the meter, which is illegal. Then, the bill went down from RM400 to around RM100 per month.”
“About a month ago, workers from TNB came to check our meter and said ‘penggunaan elektrik tidak relevan (use of electricity is not relevant)’. They then issued us a summon after knowing that we did something to the meter.”
According to her post, TNB recalculated how much they were supposed to pay and came out with a figure. Reez was then informed that she had to settle whatever figure TNB comes up with in three days’ time. “We speculated that the amount would be between RM1,000 and RM2,000,” she said.
“After a month, we were told that the amount needed to be paid is RM8,859.25. It shocked all of us in the family. The amount cited cannot be reduced and there won’t be any negotiation, according to the staff.”
“TNB later told us that the amount can be reduced, but we have to provide evidence such as the house was unoccupied. However, we have to pay the initial amount first, before we can go to court to appeal for a price reduction. Also, there’s no guarantee that the price would be reduced.”
Reez’s painful experience has taught her that tampering with the electric meter is a big mistake, as the system can read and find out if consumers are short-changing the company.
Lastly, she also urged netizens not to follow her path because it’s against the law, saying that the plan will surely backfire in the future.
If you’ve already installed this ‘electricity-saving device’ on your meter, please remove it before it’s too late.
Also read: Malaysian Woman Shares One Simple Trick to Reduce Electricity Bill by 80%