Have you enjoyed free electricity before?

Hi howard96h, actually the saving is not much. And, the plan is temporary until end of 2008. But, little is better than none. I hope our government will be more considerate and introduce more better policy for the benefit of the people. Our electricity fee are increasing from time to time too. Concerns had been raised because it's adding the burden to the already-high-cost-of-living. Although our rate is still not very high if compared to other countries, but it will stir the inflation of all commodities. Because basically everything are related to electricity.

Thanks! That's right. Because this subsidization is base on the hypothesis that lower income family is having lower electricity usage i.e. below RM20. This is equivalent to 91k watt hour energy consumption. It's sufficient for switching on 2 florescent lights at night, 1 fan whole day, 1 refrigerator whole day and 1 television at night. So, it's practically matches the usage of lower income family. After the energy saving effort, I had educated myself of the power rating of every electrical appliances. Therefore, I am doing better in cutting down the unnecessary wasting of electricity. This is helpful to help reducing the global warming effect indirectly too. I found that the highest consumption is contributed by the cloth dryer. Secondly is the water heater and the washing machine. Surprisingly to me, the fridge is consuming less than I expected.

You are most welcome and thanks for your compliments as well. Just a little effort of reading and observation will reveal the secret of electricity savings. I have read all the power rating label on most of the electrical appliances. The water heater power rate is 3200 watt. The cloth dryer power rating is 680 Watt (soft mode) and 1020 Watt (strong mode). The washing machine is about 600~700W and so on. So from these, you could basically calculate the rate of power consumption base on the usage duration. The long fluorescent lamp's is only 80 watt and thus are insignificant if it's not turned on all day long. For example, if you are using strong mode for cloth dryer, you will spend 1 kilo watt hour for every 60 minutes, which is equivalent to RM0.21 hourly. So hope this will help you to use the electricity more efficiently. This will help preserving the environment indirectly. After being aware of the higher electricity consumption rate of the cloth dryer, I will do the air drying instead of using it as long as I have time to hang the clothes.

You are welcome. From you detailed description above, I know you have done quite a lot of observation and practical ways as well to find out the actual consumption of every electrical appliance available in your house. It’s really a great job that needs lots of patience and perseverance all the time. I’m glad that you finally have accomplished your fruitful experiment successfully. Well done my dear! Thanks for sharing such valuable and practical experience with us here. Now I know clearly which appliance would consume much energy and which one needs the least. This is quite useful as I could apply them practically to save the daily usage of electrical energy in my house. Yeah, we are doing good deed to help to reduce the global warning effect and friendly to our environment if we could cut down the using of electricity daily. I’m so happy that I use the clothes dryer which consumes the highest electricity during rainy days only. My husband and I prefer to take cold shower all the time unless during cold rainy day. So we seldom use these two electrical appliances which consume much energy. We usually keep the fridge switching on 24 hours so I am so happy and feel relaxed to learn that it expends less energy posting and take care.

Thanks a lot swatig! Free electricity had been a dream for us until 2008. In fact, it's just a temporary measure to help the lower income people until the end of 2008. In other words, such offer no longer valid in 2009. Our electrical supply are having standardized charge rate nationwide. It's RM0.21 for the first 200 kW/h of a month. The rate will be higher after 200 kW/H, to encourage people use less and save more. The electricity management are monopolized by a semi-government company. Therefore, we don't have the price fluctuation due to supply demand variation. The stability and quality are satisfying most of the time in most area. However, it's really annoying in some rural place, where we experience lot of unexpected blackout. But I am glad that they react to such power interruption in an prompt manner. Thanks for your response and have a nice day!

Actually the free electricity are given base on conditions. I need to consume not more than 91 kilo watt hour within 30 days time. If I spend more than 91 kW/h, I will have to pay the bill. So, since I am living alone in my apartment, it's not a difficult task for me to achieve less than 91 kW per hour worth of energy within a month. So, you can see that's the total amount in the bill is RM0.00 LoL. For the first month, I have been trying my best to save the electricity like you. I do likewise, by charging the cell phone and laptop battery outside of the house. Besides, I just turn on light a few hours at night. I stop using the cloth dryer and refrigerator. However, after the first month, I found that, 91 kW/h is quite abundance for me. Therefore, I started up my freezer again. Besides, I start using other electrical appliances thriftily too. After 3 months, I am able to meet RM0 for the electrical bill from September until December .

Ya, this is a good start for our government to be considerate and thoughtful of the people's suffering due to the high inflation and cost of living over here. In fact it's just a three months temporary measure. But, it's still better than none. I like this idea because this will encourage people to save energy and thus helping the environment indirectly. Well, I think you might need to submit a proposal to your government to do something likewise. You can tell them about what we have here as an example Thanks for your response and have a nice day cotton0821!

I was so happy to know this electricity subsidy in the 2009 budget announcement in the past July. Because I am one of the low power consumption user, therefore, it shouldn't be a problem for me to use the power less than 91 kilo watt hour in one month time. I think this subsidization help others a lot especially those from the lower income families. You are right, we should do our best to save electric energy because this will indirectly help the Earth by reducing global warming effect. In fact, our electrical rate is increasing every few years. It's same in the whole world I suppose. Thanks for your response youless and have a nice day!

Ya, that's really a good move. The economy crisis and global recession is coming, and the people of our country is suffering from the higher inflation rate. Many people become jobless due to company downsizing. With the electricity subsidy, the families with lower income is going to feel the lessened cost of living for three months. I hope the government is going to be more considerate and implement more policies which will help the lower income group. Besides, this will help reducing global warming effect indirectly too. Merry belated Christmas, and have a Great New Year ahead riyasam! Thanks for your response too!

Thanks a lot! This is one of the government effort to help reduce the people's burden. Besides, it's also a good way to encourage the people to save electricity and help decreasing the global warming effect indirectly. But this subsidy for electricity last until end of this year only. But it's already a good saving for people who use a little electricity energy like me. Thanks for your response happythoughts!

Hi Williamjisir, this is the first time in our country history that we are able to enjoy free electricity. I doubt we will be able to have such opportunity in future after this round. Our electricity charge is RM0.21 for each kilo watt hour. The rate will be higher after more than 200 kilo watt hour are being consumed. It's considered cheap, but our other commodities are having high inflation rate, thus add to the burden of the people due to the soaring cost of living here. So, having some minor reduction in electircity cost will help us a little. You are right, those electrical appliances that generate heat will usually consume more energy. I have tried my best to reduce usage on air-conditioning, water heater and cloth dryer. Thanks for your response and have a happy new year!

It's the same that happens here. Actually the privatized former government agency that supplies the electricity is having a total monopoly. Therefore, we have no option at all but to subscribe to this solitary power supplier in our country. What is worse, due to the cronyism and corruption activity, the electricity had been raised from year to year. This will only guarantee the benefit of the shareholders (who are mostly cronies of the government) but adds to the burden of the people of the countries. That's why it's a surprise to us that, the government was so kind to offer us 3 months of free electricity for those who use less than 91kWatt/h within a month. It's suspected that it's a trick to pacify the people who are annoyed by high inflation and rising fuel oil price in mid 2008. Thanks for your response and have a nice day!

Actually below RM20 is also impossible for me last time. It's always more than RM40, usually between RM45~RM50. But in August last year, it dropped down to about only RM27 a month. Coincidentally, the government announced the subsidy for those who use RM20 below. Therefore, I gave it a try and therefore it's not too difficult to lower down the already-low electrical bill and thus be eligible to enjoy the subsidy. Ya, you are right. I seldom use air condition regulator. I leave only the fridge on at all times. Others are switched off when I was not at home. Only lights are left to be on at night when I sleep.

I thought free electricity was not possible for us before the 2009 budget announcement made a few months ago too. But it's just valid for three month before year 2009. Therefore, I am determined to grab the chance to grab this one out of a life time opportunity to save the electricity . From other mylotter's response, this is once a blue moon kind of offer by the government. I haven't heard of LOAD SHEDDING. If I read it correctly, it's something on power supply reduction. It's unfortunate to have this happening in your place, and I am sorry to know about it. I think your government should work on finding other alternative way to generate electricity. In fact, other than hydrological method, we can generate the electricity by harnessing the energy of sunlight, ocean wave, geothermal and the wind. Besides, the people should start using electricity in a more thrifty way in order to counter the load shedding issue.