KUALA LUMPUR: More than 600,000 Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) customers are expected to become smart meter users by year-end as the installation project resumed on Aug 1 after being suspended due to the enforcement of the Movement Control Order 3.0.

TNB Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project director Mohamed Ghous Ahmad said with the resumption of meter installation works, the number of smart meter users would increase to more than 1.8 million by the end of 2021.

"As of June 30, 2021, 1.22 million TNB customers have had the smart meters installed in Klang Valley and Melaka," he said in a statement today.

He said smart meter users would be enjoying various features including monitoring and managing their electricity consumption through myTNB portal and application.

"Generally, more than 60 per cent of TNB smart meter users are already using myTNB," he said.

He said the installation works resumed with the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (KeTSA) approval after it was postponed due to the total lockdown since June and the focus would be given to ensure the adherence to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) such as social distancing and face mask usage.

"The smart meter installation at this early phase will focus on high-rise buildings with management bodies that are located in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya to ensure the adherence to social distancing in the effort to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

He said the installation of smart meters would be carried out with strict compliance to the SOP set by the National Security Council (NSC) to ensure the safety of contractors and customers.

He added that TNB is committed in ensuring the vaccination of its frontliners with 98 per cent of almost 8,000 TNB frontliners have completed their vaccination under the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) as to date.

-- BERNAMA