Lower power tariffs for next three months

Electricity tariffs will go down by an average of 10.7 per cent for the next three months.

This works out to an average reduction of 2.45 cents per kWh, SP Services said yesterday.

For households, the electricity tariff will go down from 23.29 cents to 20.87 cents per kWh, from April 1 to June 30.

The average monthly electricity bill for families living in four-room HDB flats will be lower by $7.83, SP Services said.

The cost of natural gas needed for electricity generation dropped by 22.6 per cent from the previous quarter.

But at the same time, there were higher infrastructure investments to replace ageing assets and meet rising electricity demand.

SP Services reviews electricity tariffs every quarter based on guidelines set by the industry regulator, the Energy Market Authority (EMA).

The tariffs have been approved by EMA, SP Services said.

REBATES

More than 800,000 Singaporean households will get a total of $45 million in Goods and Services Tax (GST) Voucher - Utilities-Save (U-Save) rebates this month.

The rebate is part of the permanent GST Voucher scheme, designed to help lower and middle income households with their living expenses.

It is given out over four payments every year.

Each eligible household will get a voucher of between $45 and $65, depending on their Housing Board flat type.

On average, those living in three- and four-room flats can offset one to two months of their utilities bills with these vouchers.

This article was first published on April 1, 2015.
Get The New Paper for more stories.