Gov't Assures Minimal Impact From Electricity Cost Changes - Akmal

KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 (Bernama) -- The government has assured that it will minimise any impact of changes in electricity costs on the public and the business sector despite global fuel price uncertainties.

Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said the measure included protection for the majority of domestic consumers to ensure they were not burdened by rising living costs.

“In this regard, about 7.5 million domestic consumers or about 85 per cent of users consuming below 600 kWh, will continue to be fully exempted from the Automatic Fuel Adjustment (AFA) charge,” he said at the Global Supply Crisis briefing today.

He said the assurance was given despite electricity generation costs for May 2026 being projected to increase to RM21.28 per million Btu compared with the base price of RM19.14 per million Btu, influenced by rising global coal prices.

He added that the impact of global fuel price increases usually had a lagging effect, and would only begin to be felt about two months after a crisis occurred.

Commenting on supply stability, Akmal Nasrullah said the country’s maximum electricity demand recorded a new high of 21,468 MW on April 23, driven by increased use of air conditioning due to hot weather.

“The government’s message is clear that the nation’s electricity supply remains secure, but generation costs must be managed prudently as the country is still exposed to fluctuations in global fuel prices,” he said.

He therefore advised consumers to manage electricity usage wisely, including setting air-conditioning temperatures at reasonable levels to help stabilise overall generation costs.

-- BERNAMA