Power and stability: What electricity means to our nation

Malaysia is currently facing a situation that is unprecedented in our nation’s history. Following the announcement of a nationwide Movement Control Order (MCO), the entire nation is now helping prevent the spread of COVID-19 by staying safe at home and practicing social distancing as per the guidelines by global and national health authorities.

The MCO led businesses to transition to remote working, executing business continuity plans in order to sustain business momentum and carry on servicing clients and customers. This has resulted in increased use and reliance on technology as a tool to communicate, manage organizations and to conduct business in general. Never has our nation been more appreciative of technology and the power of connectivity than we are today. It has enabled us all to not only carry on working and making a living, but it also acts as a precious means to keep us informed and connected with our loved ones, allowing us to remain sane through these truly challenging times.

Indeed, maintaining normalcy and stability is critical at this point in time – and a key enabler to this is electricity. For most of us, we were born into a life filled with electrical devices and a stable energy supply. We have grown accustomed to its hidden presence, as it lights our homes and streets, powers our devices and provides us with the comfort and assurance that we need to end every night in peace. It is always there, and it shall continue to play a bigger and more significant role, especially as we move ahead after this crisis, to support and reinvigorate the economy.

Alongside our nation’s defense services and medical professionals are the engineers and technicians, working tirelessly to ensure that our nation’s electricity supply and distribution remains stable throughout the MCO period. Their work is crucial in ensuring hospitals constantly remain powered up so that patients may receive the care they need throughout the day. They provide comfort to the police and armed forces by illuminating over 120 temporary security posts around the nation, thus keeping these brave men and women safe as they do the same for us.

It is electricity and the never-ending work of service providers like Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and Sabah Electricity (SESB), who make sure that we can keep living our lives normally at home; for without electricity, decades of technological advancements can bring us no comfort nor benefit.

That said, as a result of the MCO, home electricity consumption nationwide has gone up drastically. This is a fact that was acknowledged by both TNB and the Malaysian administration, who have offered discounts to help ease the burden of the people as they continue to stay safe at home. But it is important to highlight that it is still important for people to be mindful of their energy consumption, as our electricity supply is distributed across the nation through a complex and carefully planned network managed by TNB.

The maintenance of this energy network is vital in ensuring black outs do not happen, especially in areas that house hospitals and other essential services. Especially in times of crisis, electrical stability is essential to the survival of our nation’s economy and its people. One way we can help the energy sector ensure this stability, is by first being mindful of our own energy consumption levels. To this end, homes that leverage Smart Meter technology have the advantage of knowing their electrical consumption on a daily basis, as they are able to track their consumption using the myTNB app. Users who do not own Smart Meters are still able to track their consumption using the app, albeit on a monthly basis.

This not only helps them consume electricity more efficiently, it also serves a greater cause by saving energy and allowing it to be redirected to those who need it more, particularly to those in the healthcare sector who rely on electricity to treat patients. While our energy supply is manageable today, the ever-increasing consumption of electricity necessitates a more efficient way to manage its consumption. It is in this area that we as everyday consumers of electricity can play a key role in energy management, as we are the ones who have some degree of control over demand of energy.

With Smart Meters in place, we can more easily solve the challenge of managing our electricity consumption. It also lays a foundation for the creation of Smart Grids, which will further enhance the distribution of electricity across the nation. By leveraging IoT technology, communication between areas that require more electricity supply and areas that do not, can happen faster, allowing TNB to better manage the distribution of electricity and reducing wastage. Response times to any kind of issue will also be more efficient, thereby enhancing our lives and paving the way for Smart Living and Smart Cities.

Smart Meters are part of our nation’s journey towards digitalization, a concept that make so much sense today as we work and communicate from home, then it was ever in the past. But it is important to remember that digitalization is not just about devices or the software we use on those devices, it is about transforming our way of life using technology. Smart Meters help us do just that – it provides us with the basic tool needed to transform the way we view electricity and what it means to us and those around us.

The challenging period we are currently in should act as a learning and a reminder about the importance of electricity in our daily lives, and why we need to upgrade the tools we use to track our electricity, to pave the way for a better, brighter future.