by HARIZAH KAMEL/ pic by HUSSEIN SHAHARUDDIN

TENAGA Nasional Bhd (TNB) has introduced a relief package for its 7.5 million residential customers to further soften the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The relief package comprises an easy payment plan (EPP), waiver of interest on late payment and an extended halt to the disconnection of power supply.

President and CEO Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said given the suspension of meter reading and the prolonged Movement Control Order (MCO), they are aware of their residential customers’ growing concern over a possible spike in their bills once the actual meter reading is done.

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

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

Copies of the 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.

Meter reading and rendering of bills will resume today starting with green zone states namely Perlis, Penang, Kedah, Perak (except Sri Manjung) and Kelantan.

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

“When customers receive their first actual monthly bill, they can opt to either make full payment or pay EPP amount. Relevant information will be displayed in the yellow box on the top right-hand corner of the bill,” said Amir Hamzah.

He explained that the package is an addition to the tiered discount of between 2% and 50% that TNB offers to its customers for electricity usage from April 1 until Sept 30 this year to ease the burden of the rakyat due to Covid-19.

He disclosed that the waiver of interest on late payment is until Sept 30, while the suspension of disconnection activities is until July 31.

“These three gestures will hopefully help our customers make the adjustment to the new normal and provide them with a peace of mind to manage their finances,” he added.