How Can I Reduce Electricity Consumption During Hot Weather?

The most effective way to reduce electricity consumption during hot weather is to manage your air conditioner use at home.

Air conditioners usually run longer when temperatures rise, while fans and refrigerators may also work more often. Hot weather can therefore raise your electricity bill even if you have not bought any new appliances.

For households, the practical response is simple: focus first on how long you cool your home, how hard your air conditioner has to work, and whether your monthly electricity use is climbing.

Why is my electricity bill higher when the weather is hot?

The most common reason is that cooling appliances are running for longer.

During a hot spell, you may:

• switch the air conditioner on earlier;
• leave it running later at night;
• use more than one air conditioner;
• run fans for most of the day; or
• spend more time indoors.

Refrigerators and freezers may also have to work harder to maintain their internal temperatures. Even a small change repeated every day can add up. One extra hour of air-conditioning each night becomes 30 additional operating hours in roughly a month.

Does El Niño make Malaysia hotter?

El Niño can contribute to hotter and drier weather in Malaysia.

El Niño is a large-scale climate pattern linked to unusually warm sea-surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean. It can change rainfall and temperature patterns across many parts of the world.

MET Malaysia says El Niño conditions are expected to persist into early 2027. For households, that can mean more days when air conditioning and fans are used for longer.

El Niño does not automatically mean every part of Malaysia will experience the same temperature or rainfall conditions, but prolonged hot and dry periods can increase household cooling demand.

What temperature should I set my air conditioner to save electricity?

Around 24°C is a practical energy-efficient setting recommended by TNB.

Setting the thermostat much lower does not instantly cool the room. Instead, the air conditioner may have to work longer to reach and maintain the colder temperature.

You can also reduce unnecessary cooling. Here's how:

• keep doors and windows closed;
• avoid cooling empty rooms;
• clean air-conditioner filters regularly; and
• keep air inlets and outlets clear.

The aim is to avoid making the air conditioner work harder than necessary.

Is it cheaper to use a fan or an air conditioner?

A fan generally uses much less electricity than an air conditioner.

A fan moves air rather than using a compressor to cool the room, so its electricity demand is usually much lower. That does not mean a fan can always replace air conditioning. On very hot days, you may still need both.

One practical approach is to use a fan to improve air circulation while keeping the air conditioner at a moderate temperature. If that allows you to avoid lowering the thermostat further or reduces how long the air conditioner runs, overall electricity use can fall.

Do curtains help keep a room cool and save electricity?

Yes. Blocking strong sunlight can reduce the amount of heat entering a room and make it easier to cool.

Windows exposed to direct afternoon sun can heat up a room considerably. Closing curtains or blinds before the room becomes hot can reduce the cooling load later.

The less heat entering your home, the less heat your air conditioner needs to remove. You can apply the same idea indoors. Ovens, clothes dryers, irons, and long cooking sessions release additional heat, so using them at cooler times of the day may help keep indoor temperatures more manageable.

Does my fridge use more electricity in the hot weather?

Higher surrounding temperatures can make a refrigerator work harder to stay cold.

Refrigerators operate throughout the day and night, so small changes in efficiency can accumulate over a month.

To help your refrigerator work efficiently:

• avoid opening the door longer than necessary;
• check that the door seals properly;
• leave suitable ventilation around it;
• avoid unnecessarily cold settings; and
• check the appliance if it appears to be running continuously.

What happens if my electricity use goes over 800 kWh?

Domestic customers using 800 kWh and below per month currently receive an AFA (Automatic Fuel Adjustment) exemption from 1 September to 31 December 2026. They will be exempted from a RM10 retail charge and 8% service tax.

Households consuming more than 800 kWh do not qualify for that exemption under the current tariff framework.

This becomes relevant during a very hot month. A household that normally uses slightly below 800 kWh may cross the threshold because its air conditioners are running for longer. Once monthly consumption exceeds 800 kWh, AFA can apply under the current rules.

That means hot weather can affect a bill in two ways: you may use more electricity, and the applicable charges can also change once your consumption crosses certain thresholds.

Can global fuel prices affect my electricity bill?

Yes. Electricity-generation costs can be affected by global fuel prices and foreign exchange rates.

Under the current tariff framework in Peninsular Malaysia, the Automatic Fuel Adjustment (AFA) adjusts generation charges each month to reflect changes in generation costs.

Suruhanjaya Tenaga says AFA can reflect variations in fuel prices, power-purchase costs, renewable-energy displaced costs, and other generation costs. TNB also explains that global fuel prices and foreign exchange rates are important inputs.

These are factors households cannot control directly.

So when your electricity bill rises during a hot month, take note of these two things:

Household factor: you may have used more kWh because cooling ran longer.

External factor: prevailing generation costs may also have changed.

Can El Niño affect electricity prices too?

Potentially, but indirectly. El Niño can affect energy markets as well as household electricity demand.

Hotter weather can increase electricity demand for cooling across affected regions. At the same time, prolonged drought can reduce hydropower output in some countries, requiring more generation from other sources.

The International Energy Agency has noted that drought-related reductions in hydropower can lead to more fossil-fuel generation, while extreme heat increases electricity demand for cooling. Those effects can increase demand for fuels such as gas or coal and add pressure to international energy markets.

However, El Niño does not automatically make Malaysia's electricity price rise. Malaysia's monthly AFA depends on actual and forecast generation costs, including fuel prices, exchange rates, system conditions, and other generation-cost factors.

How can I check if my electricity use has gone up?

Look at your daily usage rather than waiting until the end of the month.

If your property has an activated smart meter and the relevant data is available, myTNB can help you monitor electricity-use patterns.

Compare:

• hotter days with cooler days;
• weekdays with weekends;
• days with heavy air-conditioner use; and
• your current month with your normal household routine.

TNB also provides an Energy Budget feature for eligible smart-meter users to help monitor spending and consumption. A smart meter will not tell you which exact appliance caused the increase, but it can show when consumption started rising.

That can help you work out whether the change matches longer air-conditioning, more people at home, or another shift in household behaviour.

Does using electricity at night save money?

It can for customers on Time of Use (ToU) pricing, but using electricity at night does not automatically reduce consumption.

If an appliance uses 5 kWh, moving it to another time does not make it consume fewer kWh.

However, ToU customers pay a lower Energy Charge during off-peak periods, including after 10pm on weekdays and throughout weekends under the current schedule.

For reducing hot-weather electricity consumption, though, the bigger gains still come from using cooling more efficiently and reducing unnecessary operating hours.

What is the best way to lower my electricity bill during hot weather?

Start with the biggest and longest-running loads rather than small appliances.

A practical order is:

1. Set air conditioning around 24°C where it is comfortable.
2. Use fans to improve comfort before lowering the thermostat further.
3. Close curtains or blinds against strong sunlight.
4. Keep doors and windows closed while cooling.
5. Avoid cooling empty rooms.
6. Clean and maintain air conditioners.
7. Check whether refrigerators or freezers are working unusually hard.
8. Monitor your monthly consumption, especially if you are approaching 800 kWh.
9. If you are on ToU, shift suitable flexible usage to off-peak hours.

During periods such as El Niño, you may not be able to control how hot the weather becomes or what happens in global fuel markets. What you can control more directly is how many kWh your household uses to stay comfortable.

---

FAQ

Should I leave the air conditioner running all day during hot weather?

If a room will be empty for a meaningful period, cooling it continuously can waste electricity. Avoid unnecessary operating hours while keeping comfort and the type of air-conditioning system in mind.

Does servicing an air conditioner help reduce electricity use?

It can. Dirty filters, restricted airflow, or poor maintenance can make an air conditioner work harder to provide the same cooling.

Does El Niño always increase electricity bills?

No. El Niño can contribute to hotter weather and can affect global energy systems, but your household bill still depends on your actual consumption and the applicable electricity charges.

Can hot weather alone push me above 800 kWh?

Yes. If a household is already close to 800 kWh, several weeks of longer air-conditioner use can be enough to push monthly consumption above that level.

---

Last updated: 9 October 2026

This article is sponsored by Tenaga Nasional Berhad.