Electricity fee hike: Reining in rising costs of utilities
Amelia Tan, Straits Times 2 Oct 08;
WHEN Mrs Cristin Tan, 40, moved into her three-storey terrace house in Yishun five years ago, she spent about $300 to fit the entire house with energy-saving light bulbs.
She is glad that she made the choice as electricity bills rose by about 21 per cent yesterday - the highest one-time increase in seven to eight years, because of higher fuel oil prices.
Families like Mrs Tan's, who live in private apartments and landed houses, are hit the hardest as they will not be getting any rebates from the government.
On the average, families living in private apartments now have to pay $202.80 or about $35.83 more for electricity every month. Those living in landed houses will have to pay an average of about $441.53 or $78.01 more.
Mrs Tan, a freelance sales manager, said the fee hike is especially hard to swallow this time as living expenses have already skyrocketed with food and transport becoming more costly.
An impending economic downturn also raises the spectre of having less disposable income to cushion the rise in costs, including electricity fees.
'The electricity fee hike has been introduced at such a bad time. I feel very stressed when I receive bills at the end of the month and see how much more I have to pay,' said the mother of three.
The Energy Market Authority, which regulates the electricity and gas industry here, said on Monday that the projected fuel oil price for the next three months will jump to $155.14 a barrel, up 38 per cent from $112.35 for the current quarter.
Mrs Tan and her husband, a pilot, have enforced a 'no wastage' policy in their home to keep their electricity expenses at $180 a month.
So far this seems to be working, as their bill is significantly lower than the average $363.52 which households in landed properties spent on electricity per month before yesterday.
Their children Valery, Kenric and Irving - aged 10, eight and six - have been asked to switch off the lights when they leave a room, all computers and modems when they are not in use, and use only fans.
Mrs Tan said these reminders would become more frequent now.
Families living in private apartments and landed houses should take a card from the Tans if they want to rein in their utilities expenses.
Without any rebates, those living in private apartments and landed properties will have to fork out about $570 and $1,209 more respectively this year for utilities.
Only families living in one-, two- and three- room flats will receive utilities rebates up to $330, which should more than cover the fee hike.
Families living in four- and five-room flats and executive flats will get $130 to $295. This will cover half of the fee hike.
Households are hoping that small changes will go a long way in keeping their electricity bills low.
Ms Tricia Lim, who lives with her grandparents and a maid in a two-storey bungalow in West Coast, said they would crank up the temperature set on their air-conditioners by a couple of degrees, from 18 to 20 deg C.
Their monthly electricity bill is about $430.
The 23-year-old said: 'I do not think we can get used to not using air-conditioning. But we will set it at a higher temperature to cut down on electricity.'
