JEDDAH — With the increase in energy consumption through the hot months of summer, many in the Kingdom are complaining of soaring energy bills. According to Raji Al-Subaei, a Saudi, his average electricity bill is SR300, but during summer he was shocked to find his bill reaching SR1,700. "When I complained I was told to pay the bill first and then make sure that no neighbor is using my electricity line without my permission," he said. Another Saudi, Mishal Aoun, had a similar experience when his summer bill hit SR6,000, triple the normal amount, though he claims his consumption has not changed. Aoun said when he complained to the electricity company he received a text message stating that there was no technical problem and therefore he would have to pay the amount specified in the bill. The head of the electricity company's branch in Jeddah refused to comment on the issue, saying he was on vacation. The company has a specified a hotline, 920001100, to receive complaints and inquiries about electricity bills. Meanwhile, the Electricity and Co-Generation Regulatory Authority noted in a recent report that the number of families benefiting from the social security support had increased from 409,000 to 414,000, and the report anticipated the number will soon reach 500,000. These families receive financial aid to help them cover utility bills. The authority noted that it has received over 1,000 complaints against the Saudi Electricity Company and has managed to solve 93 percent of them. The majority of complaints were related to bills, outages and providing electrical services. The report also noticed that 59 percent of bills did not exceed SR100, while only 7.2 percent are over SR500. The Saudi Energy Efficiency Center has launched an awareness campaign in cooperation with several government departments aimed at reducing electricity consumption in the Kingdom. The campaign, called You Can, has various videos that provide tips on how to maintain air conditioner units to boost efficiency and reduce electricity consumption and bills.
