TNB meters explained: new supply costs, moving a meter, smart meters and the cut-out fuse

A new single-phase TNB supply for a landed house costs RM460 plus a deposit in TNB’s own charges. That’s a RM450 connection charge for an overhead service cable, RM10 stamp duty, and a security deposit that depends on the type of house: RM170 for a kampung house, RM250 for a single-storey terrace, RM900 for a double-storey bungalow. For a house that’s already wired, with an overhead cable from a nearby pole, everything above that is the registered contractor’s fee. In 2026, wiremen in Malaysian electrical groups quoted RM150–300 for the paperwork alone on a single-phase job, and roughly RM900–1,500 for the whole thing, TNB’s charges included.

The other questions that keep coming up have short answers too. The cut-out fuse, the meter and their seals belong to TNB, so don’t pull or cut them. The meter board is yours, and your contractor provides the wires from the cut-out to the meter, though they sit behind TNB’s seal. Moving a meter goes through TNB. A smart meter is free to install; it draws a little power itself, which TNB says is within international standards.

This guide covers TNB customers in Peninsular Malaysia as of October 2026. It draws on TNB’s published procedures and charges, the Electricity Regulations, and discussions among Malaysian wiremen and homeowners in electrical Facebook groups. Sabah (SESB) and Sarawak (Sarawak Energy) have their own processes.

Who owns what at the meter board

Most arguments about “who should fix this” come down to where TNB’s equipment ends.

The wires between the cut-out and the meter are where people trip up. TNB’s Electricity Supply Application Handbook says that for new installations “the applicant/user must provide wiring from cut-outs and neutral link to meter”. Your contractor provides them, but TNB’s supply terms make everything “up to and including the meter” TNB’s property, which is why wiremen argue about who should fix them. Either way, replacing them means opening the meter’s sealed terminal cover, which only TNB may do.

In practice it’s a joint job. Your contractor arranges it with TNB (call CareLine on 1300-88-5454, or 15454 for a fault), TNB opens the seal, the contractor changes the wires, and TNB reseals. Experiences vary. Some homeowners had TNB replace burnt tails or a hot cut-out free of charge; others were told it isn’t TNB’s job and to bring in a wireman. Either way, photograph the board before and after any work.

The handbook also sets out what the meter board itself must be:

• It goes near where the service cable comes in, facing the main entrance and easy for TNB to reach.
• The top of the meter sits 1.75–1.85 m above the ground, or 1.5 m on a gate post.
• It’s made of chemically treated hardwood or fibre board at least 5 mm thick. Plywood, chipboard and plastic aren’t allowed.
• Your main switch is not allowed on the same board.
• Meter cables are 10–25 mm², run on the surface.

If the board is outdoors and exposed, you provide a weatherproof box with a clear glass cover at your own cost.

The cut-out fuse and its seal: leave it alone

The cut-out is the fuse carrier on the meter board, before the meter. Pulling it disconnects the whole house, so electricians used to pull it to work on a DB. On new installations and smart-meter replacements, TNB now seals the carrier with a wire and a numbered tag, so it can’t be pulled without breaking the seal.

The advice with the most support among electricians was to involve TNB: photograph the seal, call CareLine before any work that needs it opened, and call again to have it resealed when the job is done. Several said there was no charge. For ordinary DB work you don’t need the cut-out at all; switch off the main switch in your DB. Quite a few electricians admitted to cutting the seal and tying it back. Others pointed out that a broken seal is exactly what TNB looks for when it alleges tampering. TNB’s own meter tampering page says “only TNB personnel are allowed to check/verify meter condition”. It also says the registered account holder is liable for the unbilled electricity if tampering is found, whoever did it.

Some electricians now fit a separate main switch or isolator after the meter, inside the house or next to the DB, so that future DB work never involves the cut-out. That’s a sensible upgrade when the DB is being replaced anyway.

What about a fire? One of the most-liked comments in a thread said you have to call TNB before pulling the cut-out even if the house is burning. Most replies mocked that, and many electricians said they’d pull it in a real emergency regardless of the seal. TNB doesn’t say anything about this that we could find. If the DB is burning, call 999 and switch off the main switch if you can reach it safely. The cable from the meter to the main switch stays live until the cut-out is pulled; our DB fire guide covers what to do that night.

If the cut-out blows. The signs are the whole house losing power while neighbours still have it, a smart meter with a dark screen, or one phase dead in a three-phase house. Call 15454. Replacing the fuse is TNB’s job. One wireman who bought a replacement fuse from a hardware shop and fitted it himself found the owner had caused a short circuit while doing their own wiring. A cut-out that blows can mean a fault or an overload inside the house, so get an electrician to check your DB too. Burnt or melted cut-out carriers also turn up regularly in electricians’ call-outs; see why DB boxes catch fire.

Missing covers, broken boards and rusty boxes

The neutral link cover is missing, so the middle of the board looks bare. Call 15454. Most replies said to report it to TNB, and several said TNB replaces it free; one described TNB replacing the cut-out and neutral link together at no charge after a CareLine report. Don’t buy one and fit it yourself: it’s TNB’s equipment and it carries current.

The meter board broke or fell. The board is yours, so a registered electrical contractor rebuilds it. TNB then re-hangs its service cable and refits and reseals the meter. Electricians in the thread were split on who to call first. Calling TNB to report it gets the supply made safe either way.

A rusty outdoor meter box or a rotten wooden board is also yours to replace. Because the meter has to come off to swap the board, the same contractor-plus-TNB arrangement applies.

Moving a meter or the service cable

If you’re renovating, extending or rebuilding and the meter is in the way, tell TNB. Under the Electricity Supply Act (section 32), TNB decides where its meter goes. Meter relocation is listed in TNB’s guaranteed service levels as a paid service, with a RM50 rebate if TNB misses its deadline. The page leaves the deadline itself blank.

The route is TNB’s Rechargeable Job Order (RJO). You fill in the RJO request form for service wire, pole, cable or shutdown work, TNB sends a quotation, and you pay before the work is done. Your own contractor prepares the new meter board and runs the cable from the new board to the DB. Then TNB moves the meter and service cable and reseals.

Electricians disagree here. In one thread, many said a kampung house being rebuilt on the same spot can have its meter moved to a temporary post by a contractor without telling TNB. Others were blunt that only TNB may open its meter. Nobody gave an official source for the first view. The real risk shows up on terrace houses, where the service cable often loops on to the neighbours. In one reported case, a wireman moving a service cable connected the live before the neutral; the neutral “floated” and appliances in several neighbouring houses were damaged. Another homeowner described a neighbour’s appliances burning after a cable was cut and rejoined for an extension, without a confirmed cause. If you use your own contractor for the cable, insist that TNB is involved and the supply is shut down first.

What it costs, as reported in 2026:

• Moving a single-phase service cable less than 5 m to a new entry point (Sepang): about RM1,000 quoted by a TNB contractor. Replies ranged from “cheaper through RJO but you wait” and “RM700 for a long cable” to outside offers of RM500–600 and claims of RM3,000–5,000. The homeowner’s own outside quotes came back close to TNB’s, and he went with TNB.
• Moving a three-phase meter with 15 m of extra service cable, a new meter board with cut-out and neutral link, and new cable to the DB: an electrician asked whether RM1,500 was fair.
• Waiting time for a TNB relocation: “two weeks to a month at the fastest”, per one reply.

Applying for a new supply

What you need

For a newly built house, extension or separate building, you need an electrical contractor registered with the Energy Commission. Under the Electricity Regulations 1994 (regulations 12–14), the wiring must be supervised by a single- or three-phase wireman who works full time for a registered contractor, and who signs Form G (supervision and completion certificate). It must then be tested by a wireman with the testing endorsement (PW2 for single-phase, PW4 for three-phase), who signs Form H (test certificate). Often the same PW2 or PW4 does both. TNB can’t connect until both forms are submitted.

That’s why a contractor charges to “submit TNB” even when someone else did the wiring: their competent person puts their name to the installation and answers for it. In the groups this fee is often called “sewa lesen” (renting the licence). One owner said he applied for a single-phase supply himself for RM513. Another was told at Kedai Tenaga that a new house must go through a registered contractor, which matches TNB’s own page.

You can apply without a contractor only for an existing premises that already has a TNB service cable and meter board in good condition, with no renovation to the wiring. That costs a RM3 reconnection fee plus RM10 stamp duty.

Your documents:

• Your IC, copied on both sides and crossed “Untuk Kegunaan TNB Sahaja”.
• Proof you own or occupy the premises: land title, stamped sale and purchase agreement, or a stamped tenancy agreement.
• If you have none of those, a residency declaration (Akuan Pengesahan Permastautinan) stamped by the Ketua Kampung, Penghulu or MPKK, plus whatever bills or letters you have.

A contractor answering a question from Kelantan said two of his customers’ applications were rejected in 2026 because the declaration wasn’t stamped by the committee of the applicant’s own village. The applicant also had to register on myTNB with an IC scan and face verification before he could submit.

The contractor adds Forms G and H, a self-estimate of the connection charge and deposit, a location map, and photos of the premises, the meter panel, the hook for the service cable, and the nearest TNB pole.

That hook matters. TNB expects the contractor to fit a hook (the “D hook”) for the service cable before applying. Where the roof edge is low, they fit an L bracket that holds the cable clear of the roofing.

Special cases:

• Felda land. Applicants said TNB needs a letter from the Felda manager, managers now refer applications to Felda headquarters, and some have waited a long time. One wireman’s two applications took about two months of follow-up.
• A housing estate still under the developer. Ask the developer first; the supply application is often tied to its contractor.
• Arrears on the property. One reply warned that if a meter was removed for unpaid bills, the arrears have to be settled before a new application.

What it costs

TNB’s charges come from its connection charge schedule and its deposit calculator:

The connection charge is priced by load and applies to any supply within 6 km of the nearest TNB supply able to carry it; the schedule has no separate charge for poles. Wiremen in the groups said the first two or three new poles are free. Special requirements, such as conditions imposed by the local council, are charged on top.

The deposit is roughly two months of expected use. A cash deposit earns 2.5% a year and is refunded, minus any arrears, when you close the account.

The “RM630 paid to TNB” figure that comes up again and again in the groups is RM450 + RM170 + RM10: the charges for an overhead single-phase supply to a kampung house. For a single-storey terrace, the same sum is RM710.

On top of that comes the contractor’s fee. Figures shared by wiremen and homeowners in 2026:

These are reported prices, not market rates. They usually assume the wiring and meter board are already done; they don’t include the house wiring itself (see wiring prices). If a quote looks high, ask the contractor to separate TNB’s invoice from their own fee. TNB’s part arrives as a letter listing the connection charge, deposit and stamp duty, paid on myTNB or at a Kedai Tenaga; one such letter shared in the groups gave 14 days to pay. Some contractors advertise “lulus baru bayar” (pay only after approval).

How long it takes

TNB’s guaranteed service levels promise:

• the meter installed within 3 working days after you pay the deposit, for an individual home with access arranged;
• 5 working days where a new overhead service cable is needed, or 14 working days for an underground cable, once the premises is ready and no more than 3 poles or 100 m of cable are needed.

If TNB is late, you can claim a RM50 rebate on myTNB within two months of connection. Those clocks start only after payment, though. The contractor’s preparation and TNB’s processing of the application come first. One applicant had the meter fitted a week after approval and payment; a Kedah household with a three-phase application said it took repeated complaints.

For upgrading an existing supply to three-phase, see single-phase vs three-phase.

Smart meters

TNB’s smart meters send readings automatically and show half-hourly use in the myTNB app. According to TNB:

• They’re free to install. The meter is powered from your supply, and TNB says its consumption is within international standards. The claim in the groups that a “hidden charge” pays for the meter isn’t supported by anything TNB publishes.
• You’ll get a notice by post about a month before installation. Installers wear orange uniforms and carry photo ID and a TNB authorisation letter. The job takes 30–60 minutes, and your usage appears in the app 3–10 days later.
• A blank screen means call CareLine on 1-300-88-5454.

Electricians add some practical points. Before calling about a blank screen, check whether the house has power: if it doesn’t, the cut-out has probably blown. If the house has power and the screen is dark, the meter itself is faulty. Replies said TNB bills an estimate based on your earlier months until it’s replaced, so report it promptly rather than hoping for a free month.

On reading a meter, the number you want is the kWh figure. TNB’s own reading guide, written for older meters, says three-phase meters cycle through pages every 10 seconds and to read the page marked kWh or “kWh Imp” (energy imported from TNB).

My bill went up after the meter was changed. TNB’s answer is that the old meter may have been under-reading because of age or tampering (it tests the old meter before replacing it), or that your use changed. You can ask TNB to test your meter on 1300-88-5454. Estimated bills followed by a big catch-up bill, the 800 kWh line, Time of Use and tampering letters are all covered in why your TNB bill is high.

Why aren’t home meters recalibrated every year or two? It came up as an Energy Commission oral exam question. The electricians’ answer holds as far as the regulations go: the Electricity Regulations require protective devices to be calibrated every two years but set no recalibration interval for kWh meters. TNB says its smart meters are certified by the Energy Commission and calibrated against the Commission’s metering guideline, which we haven’t reviewed. One meter’s rating plate photographed in the groups lists IEC 62053-21, the international standard for Class 1 and Class 2 static kWh meters. If you doubt a reading, ask TNB for a meter test rather than relying on a plug-in or DIN-rail meter you fitted yourself.

Your own monitoring meter. One homeowner fitted a small kWh meter to track an aircond’s use and found it kept counting with the aircond off. Electricians explained that an aircond switched off by remote still draws a few watts on standby, and the monitoring meter powers itself too; 0.26 kWh is a few sen. Switch the aircond off at the wall, or use a smart plug or the aircond’s own app instead.

A second meter, or sub-meters for tenants

A separate TNB meter for a shop lot, an extension or a separate building is a new supply application in the same way, with its own account. For rentals, one electrician recommended a meter in the tenant’s name, so unpaid bills follow the tenant, not you. TNB itself advises account holders to close their account when they rent a property out, because the account holder is liable if tampering is found. If two shop lots share one meter with the supply looped from one to the other, splitting them means separating the wiring and applying for a second meter.

Private sub-meters, where a landlord meters rooms or units off their own TNB account, are a grey area. The Electricity Supply Act requires a licence for anyone who supplies electricity “to or for the use of any other person” (section 9). TNB’s handbook says a building owner who takes one bulk supply and distributes it to tenants needs a public distribution licence from the Energy Commission. We found no Energy Commission guidance on small landlords recharging tenants through sub-meters, and nothing that sets a safe price. Group answers to “how do I install a sub-meter” were almost all contractors offering to do it.

Temporary supply for a building site

TNB provides temporary supply for construction sites, workers’ quarters, festivals and exhibitions. Under its handbook, you build the infrastructure, usually a meter box on a pole to TNB’s drawing. TNB charges for connecting and terminating the cables. The tariff follows the use (domestic for workers’ quarters, commercial for the site itself), and a 33% surcharge on the bill applies for as long as the temporary supply runs. A registered contractor applies for it the same way as for a permanent supply.

For electricians: terminal order and the board

On the common single-phase meter, most electricians in one thread gave the terminal order from the left as L in, N in, N out, L out (“LNNL”). One gave a different order. The diagram on the terminal cover is the authority for each model. Those terminals sit under TNB’s sealed cover anyway, so knowing the order is for reading a board, not for working on it.

One electrician posting from a meter relocation warned that an underground cable from the meter to the DB needs a proper termination kit at the board, about RM50. He’d seen unterminated cable ends degrade, short and burn.