Penang’s water tariff will see a 150% increase beginning Feb 1, but more than half of domestic users will only pay around RM12.40 every billing cycle, according to state officials.
State infrastructure committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari explained that 52% of consumer accounts never exceed 20,000 litres a month, placing them in the new water tariff band of 55 sen per 1,000 litres.
For those who use 20,000 litres and below a month, the minimum charge will be RM5.50, with the total bill amounting to RM6.20 per month due to the cost of electricity.
Given that Penang homes are billed for water once every two months, this equates to a minimum of RM12.40 per bill.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow emphasized that low-income groups and the poor would be eligible for a RM10 rebate through the Mesra Keluarga Rebate and Mutiara Rebate programs.
Under the new Penang water tariff scheme, consumers will be charged based on five bands, ranging from 55 sen per 1,000 litres for 20,000 and below a month to RM2 per 1,000 litres for those using more than 35,000 litres a month.
Chow highlighted that Penangites tend to be high water consumers and stated, “The less you use, the less you pay.”
He also pointed out that it has been 31 years since the last water tariff increase in Penang, stressing the need for change in order to fund new water projects and address challenges such as aging infrastructure.
“We need to change the perception as there are many challenges, including ageing infrastructure,” he said regarding the impact of delayed tariff adjustments on new infrastructure projects.
