Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng is seeking answers from Tenaga Nasional Bhd over the sudden, unusually high electricity bills, with the worst case being a company having to pay RM30,000 more than the previous month.
"I received a complaint from a company that claimed its average electricity bill of around RM3,000 a month had hit almost RM35,000.
"I think this is not an isolated case and I am confident that many more companies and individuals are experiencing an increase in their electricity bills on this scale," he said.
Lim also produced a photograph of the electricity bill showing the company's electricity bill to be RM4,236.65 last month, with the latest bill recorded at RM34,001.50.
He noted that many consumers have also taken to the social media to make similar complaints but TNB explained that this may be due to increased electricity usage due to the El Nino phenomenon.
However, Lim urged TNB not to simply dismiss these complaints as cases of "increased energy use" during the hot weather.
He said there have been cases where the electricity bills were erroneous due to wrong meter reading and wiring problems.
"I request that TNB look into every complaint on increased charges properly and inspect their meters in case there is something amiss.
"Don't just put the blame on consumers alone. Consumers deserve proper treatment for every complaint they make," he said.
Lim also suggested that TNB provides discounts to the electricity bill during this unprecedented period of hot weather.
"TNB, as the sole electricity supplier, has no competition and is capable of helping to bear the rakyat's burden after years of making billions in profit," he said.
He also proposed that the government temporarily suspends the goods and services tax (GST) on electricity usage until after the El Nino period.
At present, GST is imposed on electricity usage beyond 300 kWh.
Umno Youth today made a similar call , urging that TNB provide rebates to consumers during this El Nino period.