SINGAPORE - Households in Singapore are advised to conserve electricity as costs are set to rise following the doubling of fuel prices, said Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong on Tuesday (Oct 5). In a written parliamentary response that day, Mr Gan said fuel prices have more than doubled over the past 1½ years, impacting countries worldwide including China, Japan, Britain and countries in the European Union. Price movements in the global energy market will affect Singapore, which imports nearly 100 per cent of its energy needs, said Mr Gan. The minister was responding to questions by Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok) on the rising price of natural gas, which is expected to cause a steep spike in electricity prices in Singapore in the next quarter, and efforts to cushion the impact. Mr Pillai also asked how the Government plans to protect Singaporean households affected by the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic while also encouraging them to be more energy efficient. National grid operator SP Group announced on Sept 30 that the electricity tariff for households will increase by 3.1 per cent from October to December. This is the highest it has been priced since the January to March period last year. Nearly one in two households in Singapore purchase electricity from SP Group as at April this year. The International Energy Agency reported that electricity prices were 54 per cent higher in the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2020 in major advanced economies worldwide. This was due to rising fossil fuel prices caused by the onset of the pandemic last year as well as changes in electricity demand, it said. Mr Gan said the impact of short-term spikes in fuel prices is mitigated here in two ways. First, power generation companies buy the bulk of their natural gas under multi-year gas supply contracts. Second, they pass on some of this price stability to consumers through fixed price plans. However, sustained high fuel prices will eventually feed into Singapore's electricity prices, said Mr Gan. He said: "In spite of best efforts to deploy solar energy in Singapore, we are land constrained and will need to continue to rely on energy imports one way or another, and be subject to global price movements." More on this topic Related Story Higher electricity bills for Singapore households likely to be the norm due to rising fuel costs Related Story NUS to pilot SP Group's digital solutions to improve energy efficiency Mr Gan noted that wholesale electricity prices have been depressed below the cost of producing electricity in the last five years, due to overcapacity in generation. He said: "With rising demand from sectors such as data centres, 5G networks and electric vehicles, we will see electricity prices rise and normalise. "No company that is commercially run will sell electricity below cost perpetually." Eligible households will receive Goods and Services Tax (GST) Voucher - U-Save rebates to support them with utility expenses, said Mr Gan. Households in one- and two-room Housing Board flats typically receive rebates that amount to an average of about three to four months of their utility bills. This year, an additional 50 per cent of rebates through the GST Voucher U-Save Special Payment was given in April and July. Mr Gan also encouraged households to "use electricity prudently" through various ways. Households can do so by tracking their electricity consumption patterns through the SP Utilities Mobile App and designing their homes to be more energy efficient with the help of the E2Singapore website, which is run by the National Environment Agency (NEA). Last November, NEA and national water agency PUB also launched the Climate Friendly Households Programme to encourage 1- to 3-room HDB households to make the switch into using resource-efficient appliances. "Each eligible household is given e-vouchers to offset their cost of purchasing LED lights, energy-efficient refrigerators, and water-efficient shower fittings through the SP Utilities mobile app," said Mr Gan. "We encourage all Singaporeans to adopt energy conservation as a way of life - from designing an energy-efficient home to choosing energy-efficient appliances and adopting energy-saving habits," he added. More on this topic Related Story Global energy shortage or a coincidence of regional crises? Related Story Nearly half of residential consumers switched to buying electricity from retailers
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About 940,000 eligible households living in Housing Board (HDB) flats will be receiving rebates on their utility bills this month through the goods and services tax (GST) voucher U-Save scheme. The scheme provides lower-and middle-income HDB households with quarterly rebates to offset their utility bills. The Ministry of Finance (MOF) said yesterday that larger families will receive 2½ times the regular amount of rebates. About 155,000 households - with five or more members living together - will receive this higher rebate. In a Facebook post, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who is also Finance Minister, said: "I hope the higher payouts can better defray household expenses and will bring some cheer to families as we look forward to a new year." The value of the vouchers is pegged to the type of HDB housing, with $100 given to one-and two-room flats, $90 to three-room flats, $80 to four-room flats, $70 to five-room flats and $60 to executive and multi-generational flats. The value of the rebates, which began as a permanent scheme in 2012, was doubled this year as part of the Government's response to the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic. The additional U-Save rebates for larger families were first announced by Mr Heng in February as part of the Covid-19 Care and Support Package. MOF said the total rebates are equivalent to about six to eight months of utility bills for one-and two-room HDB households. This is the final round of distribution for this financial year, with earlier payouts in April, July and October. The Government is disbursing $630 million through the GST voucher U-Save scheme to support households, said the ministry. "Overall, the Government has committed $5.9 billion in total for household transfers in financial year 2020, benefiting over 2.8 million Singapore residents," it added. The rebates will directly offset each household's utility bill.
SINGAPORE - About 940,000 eligible households living in Housing Board flats will be receiving rebates on their utility bills this month through the goods and services tax (GST) voucher U-Save scheme. The scheme provides lower- and middle-income HDB households with quarterly rebates to offset their utility bills. The Ministry of Finance (MOF) on Saturday (Jan 2) said larger families will receive 2½ times the regular amount of rebates. About 155,000 households, with five or more members living together, will receive this higher rebate. In a Facebook post, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who is also Finance Minister, said: "I hope the higher payouts can better defray household expenses and will bring some cheer to families as we look forward to a new year." The value of the vouchers is pegged to the type of HDB homes, with $100 given to one- and two-room flats, $90 to three-room flats, $80 to four-room flats and $70 and $60 given to five-room and executive or multi-generational flats respectively. The value of the rebates, which began as a permanent scheme in 2012, was doubled this year as part of the Government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic's economic fallout. The additional U-Save rebates for larger families were first announced by Mr Heng last February as part of the Covid-19 Care and Support Package. MOF said the total rebates are equivalent to about six to eight months of utility bills for one- and two-room HDB households. This is the final round of distribution for this financial year, with earlier payouts in April, July and October last year. The Government is disbursing $630 million through the GST voucher U-Save scheme to support households, said the ministry. "Overall, the Government has committed $5.9 billion in total for household transfers in financial year 2020, benefiting over 2.8 million Singapore residents," it added. The rebates will directly offset each household's utility bill. More on this topic Related Story Electricity tariff for households falls for January to March; gas tariff rises slightly Related Story DPM Heng to unveil Budget 2021 in Parliament on Feb 16
SINGAPORE - More than 300,000 public transport vouchers, worth about $15 million, have been disbursed in an exercise which started in November 2019, according to a joint statement by the Transport Ministry and People's Association on Friday (Dec 18). This represents around two-thirds of 450,000 $50 vouchers set aside to help low-income families cope with transportation expenses. The disbursement includes a tranche of 30,000 vouchers which were directly distributed to low-income households. These families need not apply for the vouchers. Eligible households can continue to apply for the vouchers till Jan 31, 2021. Households are eligible if their monthly household income per person - from all sources - does not exceed $1,200. Each voucher must be redeemed by June 30, 2021. They can be used to top up fare cards or buy monthly concession passes. "Eligible households who have yet to apply are encouraged to do so at their local community centres or clubs before the deadline," the joint statement said. More on this topic Related Story No increase in Singapore public transport fares this year amid Covid-19 Related Story Second batch of $150 grocery vouchers for about 150,000 Singaporeans to be delivered directly to homes
SINGAPORE - Households living in one- to three-room Housing Board flats can now get some help buying appliances that are more energy or water efficient, under a new programme launched on Saturday (Nov 28). Those eligible will receive three e-vouchers totalling $225. They include a $150 e-voucher to pay for an energy-efficient and climate-friendly refrigerator, a $50 e-voucher to offset the cost of changing their shower fittings to more water-efficient three-tick models, and a $25 e-voucher to buy LED lights. Details of the Climate-Friendly Households Programme were announced by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat at the launch of the annual Clean and Green Singapore movement on Saturday morning. The programme was first floated earlier this year. Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister, said: "I am happy to share that starting today, eligible households will be able to apply online for their e-vouchers. I hope this $25 million Climate-Friendly Household Package will encourage households to take action to reduce their energy and water consumption. "By doing so, they will also be saving money," he added. When households switch from a one-tick to a three-tick refrigerator model, for instance, they could reap annual savings of about $50 over the 10-year lifespan of the appliance. The National Environment Agency also estimates that if all the more than 300,000 eligible households make the switch, the collective reduction in carbon emissions is equivalent to taking 31,000 cars off the road, and the water savings amount to 400 million gallons of water annually. The vouchers will expire on Dec 31, 2023. More information on how to apply for them can be found at this website. During Saturday's event held at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College East, Mr Heng also highlighted how environmental sustainability has been a focus for Singapore since its early years. But the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of clean and green efforts in keeping public health threats under control. "Keeping Singapore clean has taken on greater significance, as personal hygiene and public cleanliness are key lines of defence against the Covid-19 pandemic," he said, and urged people here to continue practising habits to keep shared spaces clean, such as returning trays at hawker centres and disposing of used tissues properly. More on this topic Related Story Singapore Budget 2020: HDB plan to use less energy, recycle rainwater Related Story Future of HDB living will be smart, sustainable and keep pace with ageing population: DPM Heng But Singapore is also "redoubling" its efforts to build a greener, more sustainable future, he said, citing plans to green buildings, turn trash into treasure by extracting value from every dreg of waste, and transform Singapore into a City in Nature - where there is more green infused into the grey cityscape. "Our efforts to create a greener and more sustainable future will not only improve our living environment, it will help to grow our economy, generate more business and create good green jobs," Mr Heng said. For instance, the shift towards more recycling, reusing, repairing, and re-manufacturing of products will create new economic possibilities, said Mr Heng. Raising environmental sanitation and waste management standards, as well as upskilling workers, will allow people to access higher value-added jobs, he added. Singapore has done well in its environmental sustainability journey over the past 30 years, he said. But there are still pressing challenges ahead, such as climate change and public health threats. "By working in close partnership, we can achieve even more. This is the spirit of Singapore Together. Let us work towards building a cleaner, greener and more sustainable future for ourselves and our children in the years to come," he said. More on this topic Related Story Nearly 1,000 households in Tengah sign up for centralised cooling system Related Story First batch of HDB smart homes ready in Punggol
SINGAPORE - Less than half of the 1.4 million households in Singapore have switched to an electricity retailer since the launch of the Open Electricity Market (OEM) around two years ago, said the Energy Market Authority (EMA) on Thursday (Nov 26). The EMA reported that most households are still purchasing electricity from SP Group, the primary supplier of electricity in Singapore prior to the liberalisation of the energy market in November 2018. While 40 per cent of households in Singapore switched to electricity from OEM retailers in the first year of the scheme, it rose marginally by another eight percentage points as at the end of October. The OEM scheme was rolled out to provide households more choices when it comes to choosing energy retailers. There are now 12 OEM suppliers in Singapore. Among these retailers, Keppel Electric has the largest market share at 23.4 per cent followed by Geneco with 21 per cent. In a consumer satisfaction survey (CSS) conducted by the EMA between November 2019 and June this year, nine in 10 households indicated they were satisfied with the service provided by their OEM suppliers. Based on the survey in which more than 7,000 households took part, Diamond Energy Merchants ranked the highest in terms of overall satisfaction level while Keppel Electric ranked the lowest. Retailer ratings are updated on the OEM website every six months. The survey showed that half of the respondents who renewed their contracts did not check the price plans and ratings of other OEM retailers before doing so, despite 53 per cent of them attributing their decision to "attractive price plans". Chief executive of EMA Ngiam Shih Chun said customers should visit the website to compare the standard price plans from all OEM retailers. As most consumers signed two-year contracts since the launch of the OEM, many would have started receiving notifications about subsequent supply arrangements after their current contracts end. Retailers have to inform their customers about the expiry of their contract at least 10 business days in advance, added the EMA. Consumers are advised to keep a look out for these notifications from their retailers, it said. More on this topic Related Story Electricity tariffs to rise 9% for households in next 3 months; gas prices to increase 5% Related Story Household electricity consumption increased by 22% during circuit breaker period: EMA, SP Group