Power utility CEM said in a statement yesterday that following its well-received “Safety Upgrade Subsidy Programme for Communal Electrical Installations in Low-rise Ageing Buildings” launched at the end of 2020, CEM shareholders will again contribute 30 million patacas in 2026 to “subsidise the safety upgrade of communal electrical installations in old buildings”.
The statement said that the focus will be on improving “high risk” electrical installations such as main switchboards.
Priority will be given to buildings in low-lying, flood-affected areas, while buildings over 30 years old in other locations may also apply, according to the statement. Eligible old buildings will have up to 80 percent of the costs covered, reducing the financial burden on residents. The statement said that owners will only need to pay a fixed cost as low as 1,000 patacas per household.
The statement said that CEM Executive Committee Chairman Bernie Leong Wa Kun recently inspected buildings in the Inner Harbour district where electrical installations were flooded during Typhoon Ragasa. He noted that ageing communal electrical installations in some of Macau’s old buildings occasionally lead to tripping and power outages, adding that inspected buildings showed “varying degrees of safety hazards”. The statement said that the power utility plans to send letters urging property owners of buildings requiring urgent maintenance and upgrades to join the programme.
Moreover, to raise public awareness on electrical safety, CEM has hosted nearly 30 seminars with the Fire Services Bureau (CB), attracting over 2,200 citizens and industry professionals, while weekly safety reminders are also posted on the power utility’s Facebook page, according to the statement.
This undated photo provided by CEM yesterday shows representatives of Macau’s monopoly power utility inspecting the communal electrics in a residential building in a flood-prone, low-lying neighbourhood.
