Electricity bill SST hike only affects 15% of households in Msia
As of 1 March 2024, our government has raised the SST for electricity bills from 6% to 8%, and when we heard the news, we were like, “Alamak, dahlah ekonomi merosot, now I gotta pay more to turn my aircon?”.
Img by KC Green
You guys probably reacted the same way, and that’s understandable, but here’s something y’all might not know: not everyone is getting hit by that price hike. That’s right…
Only 15% of households in Msia are affected by the electricity bill SST hike
Img from New Straits Times
Fact of the matter is: if you use less than 600kWh or spend under RM220 a month on electricity, you’re good. According to the Water and Energy Consumption Association of Malaysia chief T Saravanan, some 85% of consumers won’t see an increase in their electricity bills.
On top of that, said consumer group praised the government’s decision to not raise service tax for these households as a ‘welcome relief’.
Other exemptions from the SST hike include treated water supply services, food and beverages, telecommunications, parking, as well as logistics services.
And if y’all wanna further reduce your monthly bil letrik…
T Saravanan suggests consumers to explore solar power
Img from South China Morning Post
Obviously, some of y’all who use a lot of electricity at home will have concerns about the SST hike, but Saravanan, who is also the CEO of the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations, stated that consumers can do their part in conserving electricity:
“They need to be smart. Obviously, when the weather is hot, it could lead to higher electricity consumption but there are ways to avoid this, like improving the ventilation in the house,” – T Saravanan in a report by Free Malaysia Today
This is an opportunity, said Saravanan, for consumers to look into alternative sources of energy such as solar power, which the government is encouraging with incentives in place.
And you might be asking at this point, “Where’s the SST money gonna go to?”.
Well, our Ministry of Finance announced that the SST increase is expected to generate an estimated additional RM3 billion in revenue, and Amir Hamzah Azizan, our second finance minister, said that part of that revenue will go back to helping the society, so we’ll have to whether that’ll eventually be the case or not.
