TNB AFA Rate October 2026: +3.61 sen/kWh Explained

Key Takeaways:
October's AFA is +3.61 sen/kWh. Homes using 800 kWh or less pay no AFA, retail charge or SST until 31 December 2026, while a 1,200 kWh home pays around RM43.32 in AFA alone. The 800 kWh relief ends on 31 December, and the limit returns to 600 kWh unless the government extends it.

If your home uses more than 800 kWh a month, October's Automatic Fuel Adjustment (AFA) of +3.61 sen/kWh is part of your bill. The Energy Commission set it down from +3.67 sen/kWh in September, which makes October the sixth straight month of surcharges since May. Homes at or below 800 kWh are exempt until 31 December 2026.

What Is the AFA Rate for October 2026?

October's AFA sits at +3.61 sen/kWh, a 0.06 sen downward move from September.

TNB's three-month outlook a month ago projected +3.36 sen/kWh for October. The final rate came in above it.

If you're new to this line item, our sen-by-sen breakdown of how AFA affects your TNB bill walks through the formula.

Who Pays AFA This Month?

Fewer households than usual. On 17 September, the government raised the bill protection threshold from 600 kWh to 800 kWh a month, for usage from 1 September to 31 December 2026. At or below 800 kWh, you skip AFA, the RM10 retail charge and SST entirely.

If you used 800 kWh or less in September, TNB will credit the adjustment on your October bill. TNB says the September adjustment is calculated on a prorate basis, so the credit may not match a full month's charges. Look for two lines: "Bill Adjustment (Sep 2026)" and "Service Tax Adjustment (8%)".

Above 800 kWh, the exemption no longer applies. Under the old 600 kWh rule, going one unit over meant AFA on the whole month's usage. Reports suggest the 800 kWh limit works the same way, though TNB has not spelled it out, so check your bill if you sit near the line. On that basis:

• 800 kWh: RM0 AFA, RM0 retail charge
• 801 kWh: around RM28.92 AFA + RM10 retail charge, before SST

That one extra kWh costs you around RM38.92 before tax. For landed homes, air conditioners are usually what pushes usage over the line.

How Much Will AFA Add to Your Bill This Month?

Landed homes with two or more air-conditioners sit between 900 and 2,000 kWh a month. Here's what AFA alone costs at each level:

Sources: Single Buyer AFA declarations; GetSolar calculations (AFA = kWh × rate ÷ 100). Assumes AFA applies to the full month's usage once you're above the exemption line. Excludes retail charge and SST.

The monthly swing looks small. The bigger number is the total: a 1,500 kWh household has paid around RM280 in AFA since May, October included. To see your own figure, use the calculator in our AFA breakdown.

What Has AFA Been Every Month Since July 2025?

AFA has swung from a deep rebate to a surcharge in under a year. Here's every rate since the mechanism launched:

Source: Single Buyer, Energy Commission monthly AFA declarations.

The swing from November 2025's –8.91 sen to October 2026's +3.61 sen adds up to 12.52 sen/kWh. That's a gap of around RM188 a month for a 1,500 kWh home. Fuel costs and the ringgit drive the rate. Between June and August, part of the increase was absorbed by the Electricity Industry Fund, so the rate charged was lower than the computed cost.

Can You Avoid Paying AFA?

Yes, three ways, each with trade-offs.

Stay under the exemption threshold

This only works if you're already close to the line: 800 kWh until 31 December 2026, then 600 kWh unless the relief is extended. TNB's own tips are to check your usage on myTNB, aim for under 25 kWh a day, set your Energy Budget below RM328 a month, and run your air conditioner at 24 to 26°C with the timer on. It also suggests the Time-of-Use (ToU) scheme, which it says can save up to 10% by shifting heavy loads such as washing machines and water heaters to off-peak hours. Our ToU tariff guide covers who benefits.

Subscribe to the Green Energy Tariff (GET)

GET exempts your subscribed units from AFA, but it costs 5 sen/kWh on a one-year lock-in, 4 sen on two years and 3 sen on three years. A plan only comes out ahead when AFA is above its premium: the three-year plan above 3 sen, the two-year plan above 4 sen and the one-year plan above 5 sen. At +3.61 sen/kWh, only the three-year plan comes out ahead. You keep paying the premium if AFA swings back to a rebate, and leaving early carries a 2 sen/kWh fee on the remaining term. If you're at or below 800 kWh, GET adds nothing until January.

Cut what you import with solar

TNB charges AFA on the kWh you import from the grid. Take a 1,100 kWh home with a solar system covering 350 kWh of daytime usage. Imports fall to 750 kWh, under the 800 kWh line until December. That removes around RM49.71 this month in AFA and retail charge, before SST and before counting the energy charges on those 350 kWh.

From January, if the line returns to 600 kWh, 750 kWh sits above it again. The saving then comes only from the smaller base AFA multiplies against: about RM12.64 at October's rate.

Solar won't zero out AFA for every home, since evening AC still runs on grid power. What it does is shrink the base AFA multiplies against, whichever way the rate moves.

AFA Moves Every Month. The Units You Import Are Yours to Change.

Rebate or surcharge, AFA follows fuel markets you can't control, and this month's rate says little about next month's. What you can control is how many kWh you buy from TNB.

Check out our solar calculator or chat with the team on WhatsApp whenever you're ready.