SESB METER DEPOSIT UPSET MANY

THE CONSUMERS of SESB filed their complaints to the Kota Kinabalu Member of Parliament Office concerning the new round of increase in the meter deposit imposed by the Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd.

They complained that this is not the first time that the SESB is increasing their electricity meter deposit and they hope that DAP can voice it out for them. According to them, some domestic use meter deposit had been increased by RM50 and even up by RM300. The deposit for the commercial or industrial is even more.

The people told the KK MP Hiew saying that their electricity consumption remained the same for the past few years without any increase, but still they faced the meter deposit increase. Some cases involving unoccupied houses also received meter deposit increase noticed.

The consumers said they pay the electricity bill every month without any amount due and yet they received this type of unfair treatment. We don’t owe the SESB and why they force us to pay more money to them.

Are they squeezing us for more money and they want the money in their fixed deposit to grow? Is this for the benefits of their big share holders in the SESB? If that is the case they would rather not to have the electricity supply to be privatized. This is not helping the people but it is more of a “blood sucker”!

The consumers said there is no doubt has increased their financial burden and give them headaches. They want the opposition to check on this, and it is better still when Pakatan Rakyat takes over the government and becomes the people’s new managers, they should immediately abolish this unfair system and come up with a people acceptable system.

MP Hiew said the people who have received unreasonable notices of increase in the meter deposit should bring their notices to the SESB office to ask them to explain and give details on why the meter deposits have been increased to such level. He had spoken to SESB on the matter and he advises the consumers to bring all past bills to prove that the consumption had not increased at all.

He also requested SESB not to issue notice of deposit without properly ask and check on the consumers. That is not fair and this type of increment should not be allowed to continue. This has upset many people and KK MP Hiew urges the SESB to suspend the exercise to increase the meter deposit even though it is under review for every six months period.

SESB can wait but the people cannot afford. Please be considerate and sensible, it will be okay if the people pay their bills without long delay. Don’t forget SESB can always cut the power supply if the consumers don’t pay or delay paying the bills. What happen where there are frequent power cuts, will SESB reimburse the consumers for the losses? There must be a “win-win” situation, and not always squeezing money from the people.