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TAWAU: The prepaid meter concept, which was first implemented in Kampung Flores, Sandakan at the end of last year as a pilot project to curb electricity theft in squatter colonies, will be expanded to the whole of Sabah this year.

Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) CEO Ir. Ts. Mohd Yaakob Jaafar said the programme will be implemented in stages.

Among the targets are Kg Puyut in Lahad Datu, Kg Hidayat, Tawau and Kg Karambunai, Kota Kinabalu, as well as other strategic squatter areas for the implementation of the Independent Power Distributor (IPD).

He said Tawau itself has many squatter colonies and one of the areas identified for the implementation of the IPD concept is Kg Hidayat, Batu 4.

“We are studying to bring in energy supply, including the appropriate calculation and amount, considering that we are using concrete pillars for this system.

“However, for settlements on water, it is quite difficult as we usually use nibong poles,” he said at the SESB Management Engagement with UPPM Sabah Series II 2024 programme, here, on Thursday.

Mohd Yaakob said the prepaid meter system is one of SESB’s strategies to curb electricity theft in squatter areas, especially settlements on water.

He said the State Government approved the IPD concept, which saw SESB appoint a concessionaire company to legally supply energy through prepaid meters, that is pay first and use.

“In addition to causing losses to SESB, electricity theft through illegal connection is very dangerous to humans such as electric shocks due to stretched cables and wiring that can be fatal if stepped on.

“SESB suffers more than RM60 million losses a year for each squatter area in the State due to electricity theft,” he added.

Because of that, Mohd Yaakob said, SESB wants to recover the revenue loss, adding the squatters are charged at a non-subsidised rate of RM0.47 sen.