MOVING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY CAN HELP HOTEL INDUSTRY LOWER OPERATING COSTS

MELAKA, Jan 30 (Bernama) -- The burden of higher operating costs faced by hoteliers due to the increase in the electric tariff can be mitigated by transitioning to renewable energy (RE), such as solar power, said RE industry player Urusan Gading Kencana Sdn Bhd.

Managing director Datuk Muhammad Guntor Mansor Tobeng said such a transition is important as 388 four- and five-star hotels throughout Malaysia have been impacted by a surcharge of 20 sen per kilowatt hour (kWh), a 40 per cent increase, due to the electricity tariff being adjusted.

“We have received feedback from hotel associations and operators that they are faced with an increase in operating costs after the recent electricity tariff adjustment, especially for four- and five-star hotels, which use around one million kWh each month, much more than those rated three-star, or lower, and budget hotels.

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“Therefore, the best alternative for hotel operators is to convert to RE or install solar panels on hotel roofs,” he told reporters after the Hotel Industry Meetup (HIM) programme with hoteliers from Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Johor organised by the Malaysian Productivity Corporation (MPC) here today.

Also present at the HIM programmes were MPC deputy director-general Zahid Ismail, Malaysian Association of Hotel Owners executive director Shaharuddin M Saaid and Tourism Productivity Nexus representative Rohizam Md Yusoff.

Muhammad Guntor said the hotel industry should be assisted by the channelling of the Energy Audit Conditional Grant (EACG) through the Energy Commission.

He said this would help hoteliers conduct an audit to determine the best method to efficiently manage energy use and simultaneously help prevent them from continuing to sustain losses.

“As such, I appeal for the EACG grants to be used not only for four- and five-star hotels but for all establishments including budget hotels,” he added.

-- BERNAMA