By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, Oct 24: Sarawak Energy Berhad (Sarawak Energy) will replace conventional meters with smart meters in phases throughout Sarawak to ensure accurate readings and to prevent meter tampering and electricity theft, according to Minister for Utility and Telecommunication (MUT) Sarawak Datuk Julaihi Narawi.
Julaihi also emphasised that any smart meter replacement for existing customers would be free.
“Existing customers will not be charged anything when we replace their house meter with the smart meter,” he said today after officiating the Sarawak Energy Smart Meter Campaign launch at a cafe here.
He said that Sarawak Energy’s smart meter replacement programme is a continuation of its 2019 pilot programme and that the company would now like to start installing smart meters to get accurate readings of each customer’s minutely consumption.
“The readings will be transmitted to Sarawak Energy’s control centre, which will detect the amount of energy consumed by customers every minute, day, and hour, and this information will be recorded.
“This is also part of our effort, in line with our State government’s digitalisation programme, to detect meter tampering and electricity theft,” he added.
Julaihi asserted that any attempt to steal electricity or tamper with meters would be detected automatically by Sarawak Energy’s control centre.
He also revealed that the smart meter replacement programme is based on the smart city concept, which aims to improve people’s quality of life by leveraging technology the State is implementing.
Meanwhile, according to a press release from Sarawak Energy, the smart meters will be outfitted with advanced metering features to improve customer experience and provide timely billing services based on real-time consumption.
The transition programme will be implemented in phases throughout Sarawak, beginning with high-density areas and ending with low-density areas at no additional cost to customers.
Following the success of its pilot programme in 2019, Sarawak Energy will begin installing smart meters in Kuching in 2022, with plans to expand to other parts of the State by 2024.
The transition to the smart metering system is expected to take place in phases until 2029, considering external factors such as the global availability of smart meters and delivery speed.
Syarikat Sesco Berhad, Sarawak Energy’s utility arm, has installed 9,000 smart meters in Kuching to date.
A smart metering system means accurate and timely billing, eliminating the need for physical readings to generate bills.
In the future, advanced features such as real-time tracking and recording of electricity usage by customers will be made available to support more energy-efficient habits.
In addition, the system enables effective surveillance and immediate alerts on supply interruptions, triggering a quick restoration response.
Sarawak Energy’s chief executive officer (CEO), Datu Sharbini Suhaili, mentioned in the press release that the smart meter initiative is a step forward in achieving quality service excellence for Sarawak Energy’s utility sector.
“With a current customer base of over 750,000, we will need to implement this initiative in phases across the State.
“We first launched a pilot project at Kampung Gita in Kuching in 2019, and following its success, we are now progressing with the transition from conventional meters to smart meters.
“Additionally, the smart metering system also supports our smart grid initiative,” Sharbini said.
He also encouraged the public to sign up for Sarawak Energy’s e-billing service, allowing customers to have their bills emailed directly to them as the company gradually phases out physical bills as part of its digitalisation and environmental sustainability efforts.
Also present were MUT Sarawak deputy minister (Utility) Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, MUT Sarawak deputy minister (Telecommunication) Datuk Liwan Lagang, MUT Sarawak acting permanent secretary Syed Mohamad Fauzi Shahab, Sarawak Energy CEO Datu Sharbini Suhaili, Sesco CEO Lau Kim Swee, vice president for retail Ng Shou Fui, vice president for distribution Yusri Safri, general manager for asset management Ngu Piew Choo, and Kuching South City Council (MBKS) councillor Kho Teck Wan. — DayakDaily
