High air conditioner usage causes electricity rationing in Sabah

PENAMPANG - The relatively high demand or high consumption of electricity due to the hot weather is one of main causes of electricity supply having to be rationed throughout Sabah.

Sabah Public Works Minister Datuk Ir Shahelmey Yahya said many households use the air conditioner causing the consumption of electricity to increase.

According to him, this led Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) resorting to ration the electricity supply in order to control the stability of the grid in Sabah.

"SESB is taking short-term actions to increase electricity supply capacity by providing additional sets of car-type generators of which 11 units are already available and another 17 units will be added on to increase the amount of energy supply to be distributed to consumers.

"SESB also has a long-term plan to increase the amount of electricity supply in Sabah, but there is a slight delay in terms of implementation," he told reporters after visiting the Sabah Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) Penampang with SESB in Bundusan on Friday.

He addedthat this ration will run until next July and consumers in this state are expected to be patient.

"Not the entire area is cut off, it is aimed at ensuring that the control of power supply in the SESB grid is under control to avoid unwanted incidents.

"Technically, in the grid system, it is to control and ensure that everyone gets electricity," he said.

In this regard, Shahelmey who is also Sabah Deputy Chief Minister asked the parties involved in the implementation of the electric power project in Sabah to pay serious attention immediately so that it can be implemented as soon as possible.

"This is important not only for consumers in Sabah as it also affects the economic growth in Sabah.

"If the electricity supply is not increased in the near future, it will hinder efforts to attract investors in the effort to develop the industries in this state," he said.

Sinar on Wednesday reported that several districts in Sabah experienced power outages including around Kota Kinabalu, Penampang and Putatan.