You’ve just bought a new home, and it’s time to celebrate! Purchasing a property is an amazing life event, and often one which takes a lot of time and energy to complete.
Whether you’ve bought a shiny new development property or an exciting subsale home, there are a few extra steps you’ll need to take next.
The most obvious move is buying furniture. If you’re in a subsale property, you might be thinking about a little bit of home decor to make the home your own. That’s a great way to enjoy that warm feeling about a special place for your family.
Before it all however, you’re probably wondering about the question of home utilities. Both water and electricity supply are fairly important when it comes to ensuring a property is fit to live in.
Don’t worry, we’ve got your back. Here’s a simple explainer guide on sorting home utility connections for your property.
Connecting your home water supply
Connecting your property to a water supply in Malaysia varies state-by-state, with different companies and processes depending on where you live. So how DO you get water where you are?
While some companies are wired in to the joys of the modern world, and allow you to apply for connections online, others follow a more traditional route of requiring you to be at an office with appropriate ID.
In cases where a water meter is required, you may have to pay a fee for connection. Don’t worry, if there’s already a meter at your property, you can just transfer it over to your own name. There’s no need to pay for an extra meter!
PropertyGuru likes to help out, so we’ve compiled a list of water companies by state below.
Water Utility Company |
Area of Operation |
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Air Selangor (formerly SYABAS)
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Penang
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Pengurusan Air Pahang Berhad (PAIP)
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Pahang
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Johor
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Syarikat Air Negeri Sembilan (SAINS)
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Negeri Sembilan
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Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad (SAMB)
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Melaka
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Syarikat Air Darulaman (SADA)
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Kedah
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Kelantan
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Perak
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Perlis
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Syarikat Air Terengganu (SATU)
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Terengganu
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Sabah
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Sarawak
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You can check and compare all the latest rates by region on the website of the National Water Services Commission (SPAN).
While the processes vary by state, there are a few key documents you will need to apply for a water supply in a currently unconnected property:
- Name and address
- Proof of ID
- Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC)/Certificate of Fitness for Occupation
- Copy of land title
- Revenue stamp
- Copy of rental agreement (renting)
Whereas reconnecting an existing water supply will require the following documents:
- Copy of I/C
- Copy of land title, tax assessment, land tax, or tenancy agreement
- Water bill and the account of the old premise (if applicable)
- Revenue Stamp RM10.00
Change of ownership for sewerage services
It’s not just what comes into your home, but what goes out that you need to think about! Sewerage services are another important part of your home utilities to consider.
The good news is that Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) acts as a centralised organisation for sewerage services through most of Malaysia.
The sewerage systems in Kelantan, Sabah, and Sarawak are operated by local authorities. If you live in a large new development, sewerage connections should be installed as standard.
If however you’ve purchased a subsale property, or built a new home, you may need to take steps to connect your own sewerage to the IWK system. IWK holds responsibility for the public sewerage system.
Owners are responsible for the cost of connecting individual septic systems via private connection pipes to the public infrastructure. This process can include a period of disruption for your sewerage system.
Premises which are connected to the public sewage treatment plant will be billed RM32.00 once every four months, or RM8.00 per month.
If your subsale property is already connected to the IWK system, you will need to apply for a change of ownership.
This will require you to submit photocopies of the first, second, and last two pages from the Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA), with the names of the purchaser/seller, property address, date of agreement, and signatories of all parties concerned.
Connecting your home power supply
Powering up your home is the first step towards Netflix and a relaxing night in! And of course lights, power for cooking, and all sorts of other things that aren’t as important as Netflix.
There are three main electricity suppliers in Malaysia: Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Sabah Electricity, and Sarawak Energy.
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Electricity Utility Company
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Area of Operations
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Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB)
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Peninsular Malaysia
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Sabah
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Sarawak
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It’s worth recognising that Malaysia’s electricity supply industry is undergoing something of a transformation, and that a competitive retail market is set to open up in coming years.
That means residential consumers will be able to choose and change tariffs between competitive suppliers at some point in the future.
Electricity connection with TNB
As Malaysia’s largest electricity supplier, there’s a good chance that most readers will be arranging a connection with TNB.
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Newly-built property
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Step 1
| – Load up to 100kVA (<100kVA): Appoint an electrical contractor registered with the Energy Commission to complete the internal wiring and all technical requirements OR to apply on your behalf. – Load exceeding (>100kVA): Appoint an electrical consultant engineer registered with the Board of Engineers Malaysia to apply electricity on your behalf. |
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Step 2
| – Complete and submit the Electricity Application form and attach it together with required documents. – Sign the electricity supply contract (Electricity Application form) with TNB. |
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Step 3
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Step 4
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Receive your electricity supply
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| Existing property | |
| Step 1 | Identify existing electricity connection infrastructure. |
| Step 2 | Pay reconnection fees (RM3.00 for low voltage or RM80.00 for medium & high voltage) and RM10 stamp duty |
If you’re buying a new development unit such as an apartment or condominium, then in almost all cases, electricity supply infrastructure will already be installed. This comes as part of the required Notice of Vacant Possession.
Connection charges for newly-built property as a homeowner more directly refers to a standalone property that has been designed and constructed from scratch.
As the complicated connection charges above highlight, the true cost of connection can vary depending on the circumstances. There is also the question of a deposit to consider for new accounts.
The costs for a deposit would depend on the type of property, and expected voltage level of connection.
A deposit is based on the assumption of two months of a customer’s electricity usage, and stretches from RM170 for a simple kampung house or flat, through to RM1,600 for a penthouse or multi-storey bungalow.
This deposit is refunded once the customer closes their account, assuming all payments are up to date.
How To Check And Pay Your TNB Bill Online
You’re all connected, so now what? The power’s up and running and you’re as happy as a clam, but then the bill comes and you’re dumbfounded. Did you really spend that much? How do you pay it?
Technology is made to better our life, so as soon as you’ve gotten your power supply connected, download the official myTNB app and sign-up for an account, or log-on to their portal to do so.
Through these platforms, you’ll be able to view and pay your electricity bills and manage your accounts wherever you go, even if you’re residing in Kedah but have a home in Johor.
Not only that, but you’ll be able to monitor your electricity usage details so you can keep yourself from going overboard and all powered up! This feature can also be used to check on your tenants’ bills.
Here’s a simple step-by-step to sign-up for a TNB account online :
- Register for an account and activate it.
- Select your premise ownership type.
- Enter your 12-digit electricity account number (Tip: it can be found in the top left corner of your physical TNB bill).
- View your account information and electricity bill history!
To pay your electricity bill, TNB currently supports these payment methods:
- MyTNB (official app)
- Kedai Tenaga (TNB Customer Service Centres)
- TNB AutoPay Payment Facility (Monthly debit of your debit/credit card)
- TNB Direct Debit Bill Payment Facility (Debit of your bank account)
- Cheque/postal order (old-school method through post)
- Post offices and 7-11 outlets (a.k.a. one-stop-centres)
- ATM and Cash Deposit Machines
- Over-the-Counter and Internet Banking/Phone Banking for participating banks
- JomPAY (internet/mobile banking)
- PayQuik kiosks
- eBulk Pay, a bulk payment scheme specially for government/private head offices
Steps from here: https://www.misterleaf.com/2687/how-to-view-tnb-account-bill-online/
Electricity supply for tenants
Not everyone owns the home they live in. Don’t worry renters and landlords, there’s a simple process to ensure tenants can access electricity too!
If a landlord wants bills to be issued directly in the tenant’s name, they can apply for a Change of Tenancy to open a new account for a customer moving into an existing property with working electrical installations.
PropertyGuru Tip
A word of warning for property owners! If you change the tenancy on the TNB account, you will lose the right to instruct a disconnection in the event the tenant defaults on their monthly electricity bills.
a) Connecting power supply in Sabah
If you’re a resident in Sabah, the process for power supply connection isn’t all that different from the one followed in Peninsular Malaysia.
Connecting Electricity Supply with Sabah Energy (SESB)
| Application process | |
| Step 1 | Application from applicant |
| Step 2 | Applicant appoints registered contractor |
| Step 3 | Application and contractor submit application form to local SESB office |
| Step 4 | SESB issues connection charges and debit note to applicant |
| Step 5 | Applicant pays debit note |
| Application for new connection without additional electricity poles required | |
| Step 1 | Application from applicant |
| Step 2 | Applicant appoints registered contractor |
| Step 3 | Application and contractor submit application form to local SESB office |
| Step 4 | SESB issues connection charges and debit note to applicant |
| Step 5 | Applicant pays debit note |
| Step 6 | Line and electricity meter installed |
| Application for new connection with additional electricity poles required | |
| Step 1 | Application from applicant |
| Step 2 | Applicant appoints registered contractor |
| Step 3 | Application and contractor submit application form to local SESB office |
| Step 4 | SESB issues connection charges and debit note to applicant |
| Step 5 | Applicant pays debit note |
| Step 6 | Line installed |
| Step 7 | Applicant pays deposit and signs supply contract agreement |
| Step 8 | Supply of electricity installed and connected |
Sabah Energy will require a deposit as part of your connection. The cost depends on the type of house, and expected voltage level of connection.
A deposit is based on the assumption of two months of a customer’s electricity usage, and stretches from RM50 for Rural Electricity Programme (BELB) properties, up to RM1,500 for a multi-storey bungalow.
b) Connecting power supply in Sarawak
If your property is in Sarawak, then you’ll be applying to Sarawak Electricity for your new electricity connection.
Recent policies announced in Sarawak will see free connection charges up to a cost of RM5,000, and 70% subsidies for connection charges between RM5,000 and RM10,000.
You will require the following documents for your application:
- Completed AC01 Application Form
- Photocopy of NRIC
- Registered Sales & Purchase Agreement / Land Title / Tenancy Agreement / Offer Letter or Memorandum of Transfer (wherever applicable)
- Consent letter from partner (if applicable)
- Business registration document (if registered under a company name)
- Company stamp (if registered under a company name)
- You can also submit a new application for electricity supply online here.
Changing the name and transferring an existing electricity supply in Sarawak will be completed using the following process:
- You are required to change the name on the contract as soon as you buy or rent the premises.
- You are also required to settle any outstanding bills.
- For premises that have been vacant for more than one year, you are required to do an internal wiring testing. You may engage any of Sarawak Electricity’s registered internal wiring contractors to administer the testing.
You may approach any of Sarawak Electricity’s customer service counters, or contact the Customer Care Centre, to submit the following required documents:
- Photocopy of NRIC
- Registered Sales & Purchase Agreement / Land Title / Tenancy Agreement / Offer Letter or Memorandum of Transfer (wherever applicable)
- Consent letter from partner (if applicable)
- Business registration document (if registered under a company name)
- Company stamp (if registered under a company name)
Property owners in Sarawak will also have to pay a collateral deposit, much like other areas of Malaysia.
This deposit ranges from RM80 for Rural Electrification Scheme properties through to RM4,800 for a multi-storey detached house.
How Do I Read My Electricity Meter?
Firstly, there are two types of electric meters: A single phase meter and a 3-phase meter. Most residential homes will use a single phase meter, but in certain cases where electricity usage may be higher than usual, a 3-phase meter will be used.
The 3-phase meter is most commonly found in rented homes where the occupancy rate is higher, hence, more power will be needed.
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Single Phase Meter
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3-Phase Meter
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Consists of 3 wires: 1x Live, 1x Neutral, and 1x Earth/Ground.
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Consists of 5 wires: 3x Live, 1x Neutral, and 1x Earth/Ground.
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Supports power up to 230V only.
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Supports power up to 400V or more.
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Flashes a kWh reading on the meter.
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Flashes a kWh reading and kVARh reading on the meter.
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If overloaded: There will be frequent power trips/blown fuses.
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If overloaded: If any wire is blown, it can still provide power to the rest of the house.
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The kWh reading, regardless if it’s a single phase or 3-phase meter, is the one that determines the amount of your TNB bill.
With that kWh reading, you can calculate it based on the tariff block to get a rough estimation of how much your bill is. Or, you can just wait till you receive it!
However, if you don’t want to wait till that day, you can opt for Self Meter Reading (SMR) where you’ll be notified of when you need to read the meter and submit it to TNB.
On the topic of meters, if you’re a heavy electronics user and you’re anxious about racking up those bills, the Smart Meter might be of considerable help to you.
A nationwide government initiative, the Smart Meter helps you manage your electricity consumption better by monitoring what you’re using. Even better, you can track your energy usage every half-hour!
Using the Smart Meter will help you go green, be energy-efficient, and also help you save money and electricity. Plus, they’ll replace your old meter with this smart version for free!
Setting up your utilities at home doesn’t have to be so challenging after all, what more with these modern-day innovations to make reading meters and paying bills all a smooth ride.
Now that you’re ready to connect and power up your property, it’s time to think about what’s next! Here’s our guide on How Do You Give Your Home A ‘Grown-up’ Makeover.
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