The government plans to introduce rebates for energy-efficient electricity consumers.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry’s secretary for sustainable energy, Wong Ting Song, said the introduction of rebates is in the planning stage.

“This is being done to encourage consumers to be energy efficient and not waste energy generated by power stations,” Wong told Malaysiakini this morning after his keynote speech titled ‘Building the Utility Provider of Tomorrow’.

Wong spoke at a one-day conference on ‘The Future of Energy: Consumer Pespective’ held at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

The incentive being considered is part of ‘Home Energy Report’ (HER) pilot programme started in August last year with 200,000 households in the Klang Valley, Malacca and Negri Sembilan, Wong said.

In this programme, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) partnered with NYSE-listed Opower to provide a pilot customer engagement programme that will help customers manage their energy use and save money on their monthly electricity bills.

With the partnership, TNB was be the first utility company in South-East Asia to unveil a programme of this kind.

“These customers are currently getting personalised free HER and access to a new online portal,” Wong said.

Last year, TNB’s chief executive officer, Azman Mohd, said under the programme, customers would get detailed information and analysis/insight about their energy patterns and energy consumption, which in turn would increase their energy usage awareness.

The report analyses household electricity consumption and provides neighbourhood comparison to encourage customers to use energy wisely and efficiently, he said.

“The report will also provide feasible energy efficiency tips and information to assist and educate customers on such matters,” he added.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) president Prof Dr Marimuthu Nadason in his opening speech pointed out that there were rumblings and unhappiness about the electricity tariff structure.

“Often consumers felt that with the fall of oil prices, the electricity price should decrease. The authorities should address this issue by educating the public on the tariff structure,” Marimuthu added.

The conference was organised by Fomca and the Water and Energy Consumer Association of Malaysia.