SINGAPORE: Recent complaints from Singaporean residents have highlighted a growing issue with utility bills “getting ridiculously high” despite efforts to reduce consumption.
A Singaporean woman who resides in a 2-room flat took to social media to express her frustration:
“Hi, would like to ask around if anyone ever faced this issue. My house is a 2 room flat and my bills are getting ridiculously high. Latest is S$250. At my previous house, it’s only S$80plus per month.”
The homeowner detailed her efforts to curb electricity usage upon moving in, including limiting air conditioning to strictly nighttime at 24 degrees Celsius, discontinuing a portable dishwasher and induction cooker, and diligently switching off all plugs when not in use.
However, despite her efforts, her “electricity went up even more.” She noted, “A few days back I checked my digital metre; the number was 205, today I checked again and it’s 2150!”
Other residents responding to her post shared various suggestions. One user recommended systematically switching off and on the main circuit breakers to identify any appliance causing excessive electricity consumption.
Another recommended taking before-and-after photos of the electric metre to monitor usage patterns, particularly during periods of low activity like sleeping hours.
Similar concerns have surfaced among other residents, with some reporting unexpected bill increases despite unchanged usage patterns.
One resident commented, “For the past 3 months, I’ve seen multiple people complaining on multiple platforms about increased PUB bills. Even I’m affected now, I have an additional monthly S$100 on my bill.
My home is fully automated with lights, TV, AC, and everything else. There have been no changes to our daily usage, but the bills over the past 3 months have increased by over S$100.”
Another shared, “From S$80, it jumped to S$280, and finally to S$650 after the end of the estimation period. The problem was the compressor of the air conditioner outside.”
Speculations on the causes varied among commenters, with suggestions ranging from potential faults in metres to concerns about shared electricity consumption through concealed wiring with neighbours.
Addressing these concerns, some residents noted the possibility of outdated metering systems that rely on estimates rather than actual usage data, potentially leading to inaccuracies in billing.
In a recent release from SP Group last March, household electricity tariffs had decreased slightly from the previous quarter due to lower energy costs.
Despite this, individual bills can vary significantly depending on factors like household size, appliance usage, and the accuracy of meter readings.
“For the period from 1 April to 30 June 2024, the electricity tariff (before GST) for households will decrease by 0.3% or 0.10 cent per kWh compared with the previous quarter due to lower energy costs,” SP Group said in the release.
According to SP Group’s data, for a 2-room flat with an average monthly consumption per customer of 167.33 kWh, the average monthly bill would be S$49.85, a slight decrease from the previous S$50.01.
SP Group also encouraged customers to monitor their consumption closely and report any irregularities promptly. Concerns can be filed through SP Group’s online enquiry form or downloaded from the SP app for better monitoring.
/TISG
Featured image by Depositphotos