In the recent case where the shoplot owner who tenanted out his premise was slapped with an exorbitant electricity bill, the owner had claimed that the space was used for cryptocurrency mining and that he was caught unaware.
Seeking respite from the utility board for the RM700k bill, Tenaga Nasional Berhad had come out to inform those who rent out their residential and commercial premise properties have the option to change the electricity account name of their rental properties to the tenant’s name by performing a Change of Tenancy during the rental period to ensure orderly account management besides protecting landlords’ rights.
The electricity company added that changing the name of the account owner to the tenants allows the latter to be fully responsible for their electricity consumption and bill payment. Its Chief Retail Officer, Datuk Ir. Megat Jalaluddin Megat Hassan says, “TNB makes it easy for customers to apply for COT on the myTNB portal at www.mytnb.com.my or by visiting the nearest Kedai Tenaga. Further information and required supporting documents for the name change are available on myTNB portal. “Premise owners can still monitor tenants’ monthly payment and usage patterns over time through the myTNB application and portal,” added Megat.
Regarding complaints on-premise owners burdened with tenants’ bills upon discovery of TNB’s installation and meter tampering by bitcoin cryptocurrency operators, Megat says “The name change option reduces the risk of owners having to settle tenants’ defaulted bill payments. We are always open to meeting our customers for further clarification and discussion.”
According to research and news reports, Bitcoin currently consumes 110 terawatts per year- 0.55% of global electricity production or roughly equivalent to the annual energy draw of small nations like Malaysia and Sweden.
