SESB: Users with damaged appliances due to outages can claim

KOTA KINABALU - Energy consumers experiencing damaged home electrical appliances after a power outage may claim from Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) if it was proven to be the cause.

Energy Commission Executive Officer Farizal Hidzir explained that SESB is able to accept the claim if the consumers produce a repair receipt along with a police report.

However, if a power outage was incurred by a third-party incident SESB holds the right to not accept the claim.

"For example, energy consumers are not able to claim for compensation should a power outage occur by a thief stealing copper wires at their residential area."

Farizal added that unfixable electrical appliances may also be claimed provided that a detailed report was made by the service centre as well as a full police report on the incident.

He said this when contacted after the Electrical and Gas Safety Procedure Seminar at the Palace Hotel, here, Tuesday.

The seminar was attended by some 90 participants where several safety talks were conducted including, Electrical Safety and Work Procedures, Gas Safety, Procedure of Investigation & Accident, Investigations & Duties of JKKP on Electrical Accident Investigation.

There have been queries from consumers on how they could get compensation for broken electrical appliances caused by power outage.

Recently, Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and Environment Minister Yeo Bee Yin said the State is facing inefficiency in electrical generation, transmission, and distribution.

Despite the inefficiency, she admitted that the government does not have a total solution yet.

However, Yeo assured that one of the actions that the government would immediately take is to strengthen the power network in the State to reduce disruptions, particularly in the east coast.

She stressed that more solutions are needed to make electricity in Sabah affordable, reliable, and sustainable as consumers have not been able to enjoy this due to operational and financial challenges which are only faced by Sabah. - Locksley Ng