TNB’s TOU: How To Save Money By Using Electricity At The Right Time
Let’s face it, between rising grocery prices, RM30 nasi lemak sets, and utility bills that make your eyeballs twitch, saving money feels like a national sport. We reuse shopping bags, queue for free samples, and get visibly upset when our GrabFood order adds RM4 in delivery fees on top of a RM3 “small order fee”. So, if there’s a legit way to reduce your electricity bill without breaking the law or breaking a sweat, we’re all ears.
That’s where TNB’s new Time of Use (TOU) tariff comes in. It’s a fancy term for a simple concept: electricity is cheaper when fewer people are using it. In other words, TNB will reward you for being slightly more strategic about when you run your washing machine, charge your EV, or roast your fifth chicken of the week in the air fryer.
Residential users can now use the TOU scheme
TOU has been around for a while, but it was previously reserved for commercial and industrial sectors—the factories, shopping malls, and places that run 24/7. As part of Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), the TOU scheme is now open to residential users for the first time. That’s us, regular humans just trying to get through a heatwave with the air-cond on full blast.
Promote energy efficiency and save money!
The idea is to promote energy efficiency and give households more flexibility when it comes to managing their electricity costs. Here’s how it works:
- Weekdays: Peak hours are from 2pm to 10pm, which is when electricity is a bit pricier. Off-peak hours cover the rest of the day, from 10pm to 2pm the next day.
- Weekends: It’s off-peak all day, which basically means you’re free to binge-watch Netflix and run five loads of laundry guilt-free.
As for the rates: if your household uses up to 1,500 kWh a month, you’ll pay 28.52 sen/kWh during peak and 24.43 sen/kWh during off-peak. If you’re on the higher end and consume more than 1,500 kWh, the rates go up slightly to 38.52 sen/kWh (peak) and 34.43 sen/kWh (off-peak). There’s also a RM10 monthly charge unless you use under 600 kWh, in which case you get to skip it like a champ.
So, can you really save money?
Short answer: yes, if you’re willing to tweak a few habits. This isn’t one of those “install solar panels and wait 12 years” kind of plans. It’s more of a “maybe do your laundry a bit later and save a few bucks” situation.
For example, let’s say you charge your EV using 66 kWh of electricity. During peak hours, that’ll cost around RM18. Shift it to off-peak, and you’re looking at about RM16.12.
That’s a difference of RM1.88 per full charge. Not life-changing, but multiply that by several charges, plus your fridge, AC, dryer, and water heater—and it adds up.
Households using high-powered appliances can still save
Even if you don’t own an EV, households that rely on high-powered appliances like dryers, ovens or air-conditioning units can benefit. It’s just a matter of shifting when you use them. You’re not giving anything up, you’re just giving TNB a break during their busiest hours and getting rewarded for it. And let’s be honest: most of us aren’t tracking when we run our appliances. The clothes need washing, we press the button. The room is hot, we turn on the air-cond. But with TOU, being a little more deliberate can lead to some real savings over the month.
One important thing to highlight is that weekends are a goldmine. Every hour is off-peak, which means it’s the perfect time to tackle chores. Want to bake a lasagna, vacuum the whole house, and charge your phone, laptop and three tablets? Go ahead. TNB is charging you the cheaper rate all day.
On weekdays, you just need to be mindful. Try running your washing machine after 10pm, or charge your devices in the early morning before work. Got smart plugs? Even better! You can automate everything and still sleep like a baby. The beauty of TOU is that you don’t need to stop using electricity. You just need to use it differently.
But what if you can’t shift?
Fair point. Not everyone has a schedule that allows for late-night laundry or off-peak cooking marathons. If your lifestyle or work-from-home setup means you’re powering up everything during peak hours, TOU might not work in your favour. In fact, you could end up paying more if most of your consumption falls between 2pm and 10pm.
That’s why TNB’s myTNB app is your new best friend. You can track your usage patterns, get insights into your peak vs off-peak consumption, and decide if switching to TOU is even worth it. No guesswork, just data.
If you’re somewhere in between, say, you’re home during off-peak hours but occasionally forget and boil water for a full hour at 7pm, it might still be worth it.
The verdict?
TNB’s TOU scheme isn’t a miracle cure for high utility bills, but it is a clever little option for households willing to adapt. It doesn’t require big lifestyle changes, just smarter ones. If you’re already someone who avoids using heavy-duty appliances during the day (or you’re just nocturnal), the savings are right there for the taking.
So, is TOU worth it? If you play it right, yes. If you treat it like a flat-rate plan and ignore the time blocks, probably not. But in a country where we check five eWallets before deciding which one has the best cashback, TOU is just another savvy way to keep a bit more in your bank account each month. Besides, who knew waiting until after 10pm to blast the air-cond, boil water, and reheat your nasi lemak could finally feel like a smart financial decision?
