Kota Kinabalu: Electricity bills in Sabah have increased by between 15 per cent and 20 per cent over the past two months, driven by tariff adjustments, higher usage during the festive season and prolonged hot season.
Sabah Electricity (SE) Chief Executive Officer Datuk Mohd Yaakob Mohd Jaafar said the increase was largely due to increased consumption rather than errors in billing.
“Electricity usage increases without consumers realising it. During Ramadan, usage starts from early morning and continues late into the night with decorative lights, especially nearing Hari Raya.
“The situation was further intensified by the current hot spell, which has led to heavier use of cooling appliances such as air conditioners and fans,” he said during the soft launch of the utility company’s enhanced mobile application, MySE+ App, at its office, here, Tuesday.
Yaakob noted that many consumers may not realise how much their usage has increased, resulting in a significant jump in monthly bills.
He said the company had engaged with customers who reported higher bills and verified their usage in kilowatt-hours, adding that in most cases, the increase reflects actual consumption.
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Some users reported their bills rising from about RM100 to RM300, prompting complaints on social media. However, checks by the utility found the increases were consistent with higher electricity consumption during the period.
Yaakob said the spike is expected to be temporary, noting that usage is likely to decline once the festive season ends and weather conditions improve.
To help consumers better manage their electricity usage, SE has introduced the MySE+ mobile application, which allows users to track consumption trends and monitor their billing category.
The app also provides timely notifications, including alerts when bills are issued, reminders before due dates and notices for overdue payments.
Yaakob said the initiative comes in response to public concern over rising electricity bills, noting that many increases were linked to higher usage rather than errors.
“With this app, customers are able to better understand their consumption and take control of their usage,” he said.
Commenting on power supply, he said Sabah’s electricity system remains stable, supported by a reserve margin of 21 per cent, which is sufficient to meet demand even during peak periods.
“We recorded a new maximum demand of 1,232MW, and this could increase further if the hot weather continues. However, the current reserve margin is adequate to support demand.
“Unlike in previous years, we are now able to maintain supply without disruption,” he said.
Yaakob added that SE is also taking steps to manage rising fuel costs while ensuring a stable electricity supply across the State.
Amid higher global fuel prices, the utility has been optimising electricity distribution between the east and west coasts to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
He said the West Coast currently has excess generation capacity, while the East Coast faces a lower reserve margin. To address this imbalance, SE has increased power transfers from the West Coast to the East Coast.
This approach reduces reliance on more costly diesel-powered generation in the East Coast, while making better use of cheaper gas-based sources available in the West Coast.
By shifting supply in this way, the company is able to lower overall generation costs while maintaining sufficient electricity supply.
He said the strategy not only helps stabilise costs but also strengthens system reliability, particularly during periods of high demand.
