What’s Different in Your Electricity Bill After Installing Solar? A Simple Guide with Examples
What’s Different in Your Electricity Bill After Installing Solar? A Simple Guide with Examples

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What’s Different in Your Electricity Bill After Installing Solar? A Simple Guide with Examples

Maximum Allowable Quantity (MAQ) Explanation

Maximum Allowable Quantity (MAQ) refers to the maximum amount of solar energy (kWh) that can be used each month to offset electricity consumption from the grid. In other words, even if your solar system generates a large amount of electricity, the actual portion that can be used to reduce your electricity bill is still subject to this monthly limit.


As shown in TNB Bill Example - 3, all exported solar energy for the current billing cycle has been fully utilized to offset the Energy Charge, with no remaining balance carried forward. It is important to note that any energy balance does not accumulate into the next month. Instead, it will be automatically reset on the 1st of every month and recalculated.

As shown in TNB Bill Example - 4, the solar system still has 837 kWh of remaining energy that has not been self-consumed or used for bill offset. This unused energy will also not be carried forward, and will be reset on the 1st of each month. Therefore, optimizing your electricity usage—especially increasing daytime consumption—is essential to maximize the financial benefits of your solar system.


What Charges Can and Cannot Be Offset

Electricity generated by the solar system can only be used to offset the Tenaga Charge (Energy Charge). Other charges are not eligible for offset.

Offsettable:

  • Tenaga Charge (Energy Charge)

Non-offsettable charges include:

  • Kapasiti Charge (Capacity Charge)
  • Caj Rangkaian (Network Charge)
  • Caj Peruncitan (Retail Charge)
  • AFA (Additional Fuel Adjustment)
  • Service Tax (8%)
  • KWTBB (Renewable Energy Fund – 1.6%)

Example of Bill Offset Calculation

In this bill, the “Kredit ATAP Suria” section shows that your solar system successfully offset 462 kWh of electricity.

Based on the current Tenaga Charge rate:

462 kWh × RM 0.2703 / kWh
= RM 124.88 in savings

This means that your solar system has reduced your electricity bill by RM 124.88 for this billing period.


Understanding Energy Flow (Import vs Export)

Electricity usage in your bill is typically categorized into two types:

  • kWh (E): Exported energy sent to the grid
  • kWh (I): Imported energy consumed from the grid

By comparing these two values, users can better understand their energy generation and consumption patterns, allowing them to optimize usage and improve overall savings.


Conclusion

Solar energy is an effective way to reduce electricity costs. However, its offset mechanism comes with certain limitations, such as the MAQ cap and non-offsettable charges. To fully maximize savings, users are encouraged to increase daytime electricity usage and improve self-consumption, ensuring minimal energy wastage and maximum return from their solar investment.