10 May 2023, Macau

In December 2020, Companhia de Electricidade de Macau - CEM, S.A. (CEM) shareholders have contributed MOP30 million to establish the “Safety Upgrade Subsidy Program for Communal Electrical Installations in Low-rise Aging Buildings” to subsidize and provide technical support for the communal electrical installations upgrade of “three-nil buildings” that are over 30 years old and less than seven storeys with immediate electrical hazards, so as to eliminate electrical safety hazards. As of present, 50 aging buildings had completed upgrade, 71 buildings are underway or in the preliminary planning stage, benefiting around 2,211 households. 

CEM has organized a media visit to the recently-upgraded Edf. San Mei On this afternoon, with a view to let more citizens understand the benefits of joining the program and the necessity to upgrade the communal electrical installations in buildings. CEM hopes to encourage citizens to pay attention to their building’s electrical safety and the owners who had received the invitation letters to actively respond to the program, so as to ensure the living and electrical safety of citizens in the long run. 

Edf. San Mei On, which is over 50 years old, is home to 409 households. It is a three-nil building lacking repairs and maintenance for a long time. After conducting a professional inspection and assessment, CEM engineers found that there were several hidden safety hazards at the building’s communal electrical installations that could seriously endanger residents’ lives. The water pipes and wirings in the building were all in a jumble, and the problem of improperly connected cables was rampant. In addition, leakages were detected at the water pipes, with water dripping down to the distribution boxes and meter boards, which would engender high risk of electric shock and cause a fire at any moment. Moreover, the meters lack the protection of meter boxes, exposing to the risk of power interruption due to external impacts or inadvertent interference by passers-by. The meters come loose from the aged and damaged meter boards, resulting in poor contact between meters and cables, which would in turn increase the risk of fire hazards. 

In view of this, CEM took the initiative to contact Edf. San Mei On residents repeatedly in 2021, and organized two seminars in May and November 2022 with the coordination of the Northern District Office of the General Residents Association of Macau (UGAMM). The upgrade finally commenced in January 2023 and the upgrade of Edf. San Mei On (Phase 1) was successfully completed in April, while the Phase 2 project will be arranged soon.

Isa Cheang, social worker from the Northern District Office of the UGAMM, said that UGAMM has always paid close attention to the living environment of Edf. San Mei On. A seminar was held to call on property owners to shoulder their responsibility by participating in the management of the building and explain to the owners the importance of establishing a building management authority. Interested owners were brought together to set up a concern group, and later UGAMM helped push forward the establishment of owner committee. Moreover, UGAMM has been encouraging property owners to join CEM’s subsidy program, so as to upgrade the communal electrical installations in the building as soon as possible to improve the overall living environment.

Chris Chao, Director of CEM Customer Services Department, introduced the upgrade project at Edf. San Mei On. He expressed that the upgrade was particularly challenging due to the complicated environment and limited space in the building. To completely address the communal electrical problems of the building, CEM has formulated a dedicated upgrade plan to relocate the collective power facilities (including distribution boxes and meter boards) that were originally set near the entrance and exit to each floor, so as to keep away from the main water pipes and avoid potential water leakages. Wall-mounted cable conduits were installed along the stairway to avoid any impact on the building’s structure. To facilitate the works in different areas during power outage maintenance in the future, the main collective switchboards were added and connected to more than 400 downstream households. At the same time, cables that were locking up with the water pipes were also removed, and water barriers were installed beside the main water pipes with potential leakages to separate the water pipes from the electric cables. After the upgrade, the overall safety of the building has been improved, and residents can also apply for increasing subscribed demand to meet their needs. 

Chris Chao appealed to the public that communal electrical installations in buildings are co-owned by all property owners, who should jointly pay attention to the issues and proactively hire experienced electrical contractors to conduct regular maintenance and repair to ensure a safe and comfortable living environment. He hoped that the upgrade of Edf. San Mei On will prompt property owners of other buildings in Macau to address their electrical safety issues, while promoting active participation among owners who have received invitation letters to create a livable environment.

Mr. Fong, who has lived in Edf. San Mei On for more than 45 years, said that due to the building’s disrepair, there have been numerous problems such as structural aging, interweaving water and electricity pipelines, water leakage, and overloading, which had led to three fires in the past. The building contains many households, and most of them are tenants. Thus, it is difficult to collect residents’ signatures and raise fund for maintenance. CEM’s subsidy scheme launched timely for them to solve the potential safety hazards of the building. CEM has done a good job in project control. Residents always see that engineers inspect the construction work quality of contractors. After the upgrade, everyone will no longer have to live on tenterhooks.

CEM will subsidize 80% of the overall project cost, while the remainder will be borne by the property owners. With the support of relevant government departments, CEM will conduct technical supervision in accordance with laws and regulations to guide contractors to carry out the upgrade in an orderly manner. To enquire about or participate in the program, citizens can call CEM Info Line at 2833 9911 during office hours, or visit CEM’s website (www.cem-macau.com) for details.