PUTRAJAYA: From getting a 25 per cent discount on her April to May electricity bill to having to pay nothing at all is proving to be a blessing for Rosela Ismail and her family.
The resident from Taman Universiti Indah, Seri Kembangan, is one of the four million consumers nationwide in the domestic category who will enjoy free electricity for April, May and June this year under the Bantuan Prihatin Elektrik (BPE).
Under the BPE, consumers like Rosela, whose bill is below RM77 or below the 300-kilowatt-hour (kWh) electricity consumption do not have to fork out a single sen for the three months of electricity usage when the nation was under the Movement Control Order (MCO).
The 40-year-old, who lives with her husband and a daughter, heaved a sigh of relief when the assistance aimed to alleviate the financial burden of Malaysians facing high electricity bills was announced by Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah.
Rosela said her usage for a month from April 27 was estimated at 233 kilowatt hour(kWh) and she was charged RM54.62.
"After a 25 per cent discount, I only have to pay RM40.96 from the RM55 charged. However, with the BPE in place, I do not have to pay anything.
"This is a good pro-active step taken by the government to assist families like mine. My husband and I have no source of income after losing our jobs recently.
"The amount I had to pay initially may be small but with our limited financial resources, RM40 is still a lot and now I can use the money to buy more groceries for my house," she told the New Straits Times today.
Rosela said she had settled the bill before the announcement and would wait for the discount to be reflected in her bill for July.
She added that her family tried to save electricity by not using the air-conditioning units at their double storey home to avoid a spike in their bill.
For corporate officer Hayati Farhan, the discount she is about to receive was worth it as she had used her electric ovens to bake cakes and cupcakes to sell to supplement her income during the MCO.
The 34-year-old from Shah Alam, who received her bill for the three months on Wednesday, said the charges came up to about RM800.
"The discount is a bonus for me. I am glad that the government is concerned about the people during this difficult time and has heard our woes.
"I am also glad that Tenaga Nasional Berhad has come up with the Easy Payment Plan for us to settle the bills in installments," said the mother of two.
Private sector employee Rabi'Atul 'Adawiyah Ismail said the BPE was a good relief measure for those who had never expected their electricity bills to spike during the MCO.
"Many have lost their jobs, some had their pay and allowance cut and there are those who have became financially challenged.
"The discount is welcomed as it eases the difficulty during this period," said the 35-year-old from Senawang, Negri Sembilan.