KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 -- If your June electricity bill looks higher than usual, you're not alone.Many Malaysians are noticing a bigger Automatic Fuel Adjustment (AFA) or fuel surcharge item on their Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) bill - just as the weather seems to be getting hotter and we're using more air-conditioning.

Here's a simple breakdown of what's going on, why this charge keeps changing, and what you can do to keep your bill under control.

What is the AFA?

The AFA is a monthly surcharge shown on your TNB bill that reflects changes in the cost of fuel and related generation expenses.

Think of it as a mechanism that keeps the "fuel" portion of your electricity price aligned with real-world costs: when fuel or foreign exchange ra...