Electricity tariffs will go up by 4.98 per cent or by 1.19 cents per kilo watt per hour (kWh) for all households from the next quarter, beginning July 1. Singapore Power said the hike is due to higher electricity costs arising from higher fuel prices. The forward fuel oil price is 11.03 per cent higher than that of US$74.40 per barrel for the current quarter.
The electricity tariff is revised every quarter and this latest hike is lower, in percentage terms, than what it was three months ago. Still, coming at the back of rising inflation and an overall increase in the cost of living, not everyone is taking the news well with a resident complaining that she might not be able to cope with the rising cost of living, having to spend $100 on her bills already. Low-income families are expected to be hardest hit, but grassroots organisations said there are measures to help residents cope. Dr Teo Ho Pin, Mayor of North West District said that the government will introduce the 'Power Up' scheme to help restore electricity supply to those who could not afford to pay their electricity bills and had their electricity supply terminated by working together with grassroots organisations and grassroots advisors.
Another group of people who might be hardest hit is the motorists as they have had to cope with the rising pump prices. Since Monday, petrol prices are up 5 cents a litre and 10 cents for diesel. The latest to join in is the Singapore Petroleum Company (SPC), which has nearly 40 stations island-wide joining the likes of Shell and Caltex who have already announced their hikes since last July. [End of report]
My brain is going to pop out soon hearing all these price increase. Everything is going up and up nowadays. Food prices is going up, oil prices is going up, and now electricity bills is going up, what's next? I don't belong to the low-income families group but the middle-income group just like most of you people so I think my family shouldn't have any problem paying the bills despite the latest hike, but we are still going to be affected by it. My family monthly bill on average is about in the $100 range and I think we will need to pay about $150-$180 in the future so I definitely need to reduce my usage of electrical appliances like spending less time on the computer or playstation. I would like to think I am the most energy saving person in my family. I always get angry when one of my family members didn't switch off the lights in the room or switch off any other socket when nobody is using it. It does not only add to the electricity bills unnecessarily but also an irresponsible act on their part.
Anyway, I always like to see the bright side of things in any problem and in this case, I think less electricity usage means we can save more energy and save the environment more right? Let's take the water usage for example. Do you know that turning the tap off when you brush your teeth, you can save up to 5 litres a minute. And do you know that the average house is responsible for more air pollution than the average car? You can cut utility bills and save energy at the same time by purchasing energy-efficient appliances, fixtures, and other home equipment such as fluorescent light bulbs. And try to use the fans instead of the air-condition system whenever possible.
So there you go. An increase in the electricity tariffs might not be a bad thing afterall. If you can reduce your electricity usage, you might also be doing your part to help the environment at the same time. Till next time, remember to save your electricity whenever possible not just for your own good but for the good of mankind and the environment as well.
*The report was taken from ChannelNewsAsia.
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