Bitcoin miners rack up RM3.2m electricity bill with TNB

33 premises have reportedly been implicated in interfering with electricity distribution boards as part of a bitcoin mining operation in Kuantan, Pahang. This has resulted in a RM3.2 million loss to Tenaga Nasional Berhad, with investigations suggesting that the operations has been going on for around 6 months.

According to TNB General Manager, Siti Sarah Johana Mohd Said:

“TNB collected evidence that 23 premises were running bitcoin mining activities while the other 10 premises were aware of our raid this time around and destroyed the evidence,”

A group of 30 special team members and 5 personnel from TNB’s Security Service Department began the raids earlier today, after attaining a search warrant from the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate’s Court.

Monthly bills of more than RM100k

As part of their operations, the bitcoin miners used high-powered computer networks—but these drew power directly from the distribution board, therefore bypassing the meter. During the first raid, authorities discovered that one bitcoin operation was using 1,500 Amp of electricity, with the meter only showing a reading of 3 Amp.

“The metered 3 Amp was used only for one lamp and a suction fan. They paid a bill of only RM219 whereas they should have been billed RM108,000 a month for the unmetered 1,500 Amp.”

The account holder with TNB will have to pay the arrears of the bill; The Energy Commission has reminded premise owners that they need to be aware of such activity, and that accounts should be transferred to tenants’ names. TNB has also urged residents that are aware of any bitcoin activity in their residential areas to contact them at 1300-88-5454 or tnbcareline@tnb.com.my.

[ VIA ]