One block in Punggol HDB estate may well hold the answer to household energy efficiency in the future.

In the next one to two months, 10 homes at Block 109C, Edgedale Plains, will be invited to install a new home energy management system, which aims to increase energy efficiency at home, reported Channel News Asia.

The system includes a smart phone application that indicates a household's monthly electricity consumption. Users will also be able to control their air-conditioners, even when they are not at home.

The project is a collaboration between Panasonic and government agencies, such as the Housing and Development Board, the Energy Market Authority and the Economic Development Board.

Mr Tan Chee Sim, senior principal engineer at the HDB Building Research Institute, said: "By giving the residents their consumption pattern and adding a dollar sign to it, it (the system) actually tells them how much they are paying. I think if they lower it, and reduce their cost, they will definitely change (mindsets of residents towards energy management)."

Panasonic says it expects 20 per cent savings for households.

Block 109C, Edgedale Plains, is a test bed for green energy solutions. Close to 190 solar panels have been installed at the block's rooftop, and lifts and lights in common areas will be powered entirely by solar energy, achieving zero emission. HDB says if it proves successful, it will explore introducing these solutions to other parts of Singapore

This article was first published in The New Paper.