Hokkien char hawker Yap Huat Hock, 55, said his bill, once as low as RM7.35 for a single fan and fluorescent light, had now tripled.
“Now it is RM20.40. Why am I charged a flat peruncitan (retail) fee of RM20 when my usage is so little?” he asked.
Yap, who has been in business for 30 years, said TNB officials told him that the RM20 charge was “to maintain new power meters”.
He said he was shocked when the same officials advised him to use power during off-peak hours, though his stall only opens from 6am to 1pm.
“Is TNB saying that nightclubs get better savings because they operate late at night? When I asked, they said this is the government’s decision, nothing can be done,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of 21 hawkers at the market who had also seen their bills climb past RM20, Yap said he could not pass the extra costs to customers as business had slowed.
His brother, Huat Seng, 57, who runs a frozen food stall with three chillers at the market proper, said his monthly bill had nearly doubled.
“Last year, it was around RM340. Now it is about RM680. On top of the RM20 retail fee, I also face a power factor surcharge of 53 sen per kWh,” he said.
Other traders reported surcharges ranging from 53 sen to 71 sen, all while being forced to pay the extra retail fee.
“We are small traders, not malls or factories. The bills are eating into our earnings. TNB must remove these add-ons before more of us give up,” a trader who asked to be known as Ooi said.
Penang Gerakan chief Oh Tong Keong, who met the traders, said exemptions should be given to small businesses in wet markets.
He said he had raised the matter with TNB but was given the same answer that the increases were “as per the law” and government directives.
“The prime minister has promised that small traders and the poor will be protected. These extra charges should be cancelled right away,” he said.
The higher bills follow the government’s move to end blanket subsidies and impose a surcharge on medium and high voltage users from Aug 1.
FMT has reached out to TNB for comment.