Singapore electricity tariffs up by 5.38 cents per kilowatt per hour, increase of 21%, highest in 7 years

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans will see an increase of 21 per cent in their electricity bills in the last quarter of this year.

The average electricity tariffs from October to December would go up by 5.38 cents per kilowatt per hour. The Energy Market Authority (EMA) said the increase is due to higher fuel oil prices.

For the last quarter of this year, oil prices were nearly S$155 per barrel, 38 per cent more than the third quarter.

So average monthly electricity bills look set to rise by S$5.70 to S$22.92 for those living in one- to five-room public housing flats.

For those living in the one- to three-room flats, this works out to an increase of between S$90 and S$223 in electricity bills for this year.
... The EMA feels there is more room for Singaporeans to conserve and use less energy. That's because the EMA's surveys and findings show that nearly 40 per cent of Singapore homes are using more energy than they require to. And the air conditioner is one of the largest energy guzzlers in homes here.

Here are some things we have done to conserve and use less energy:

• Switch off the aircond. We no longer use air cond for years. We use fan.
• Replace the electric hot air-pot with a Tiger vacuum flask.
• Turn off any gadgets not in use. Don't let them standby and idle. Example, VCR, DVD player, the speakers for the PC's if you don't need the speaker.
• Switch to LCD TV's and LCD monitors. LCD panels use about half the energy required to power equivalent CRT displays of a similar size.
• Turn off un-used lights.
• Use enery saving bulbs.
• For fridge, leave room around food to allow air to circulate, keeping our refrigerator cool without requiring more energy.
• For freezer, as opposed to the refrigerator, the food in our freezer is packed tight. An easy solution is to fill extra space with water bottles to help retain the cold.
• Let hot foods cool to room temperature before putting them in the fridge. Putting hot food in the fridge will raise the temperature incide, making your refrigerator work harder and suck up more energy.

Actually all these remind me of my parents nagging when i'm younger. When we leave a room (be it kitchen, bedroom, bathroom) we must switch off the lights. Else, my mom will start nagging. Similarly, our family bonding time was all gather in the living room watching tv at night. These days, you find that in a family, a sibbling will be in the room using computer, another in another room yakking on the phone with the wireless phone, the mom watching one tv in the living room, the dad may be watching another tv in another room. Also, last time, we always need to help my mom clear the food after dinner. Those warm soup, we will leave on the table. Wash up everything. Showered. Then keep the food that had been cool into the fridge. My mom's rationale then was not to spoil the fridge. But actually, it's really enery savings. I think, in the old days, when we were poor, we are really made to be thrifty and more responsible to nature. And our CRT TV is so small. 19"? and so happpy. These days, people looking at 42" and above. So, perhaps, we really need to look back to ways of old days.

See also:
1. ABC Guide to Beating Inflation in Singapore and Elsewhere, Part 1
2. ABC Guide to Beating Inflation in Singapore and Elsewhere, Part 2
3. ABC Guide to Beating Inflation in Singapore and Elsewhere, Part 3
4. ABC Guide to Beating Inflation in Singapore and Elsewhere, Part 4
5. Your power bill is standing