Two-year collaboration between Central Singapore CDC, Philips, and NEA hopes to help residents in the Central Singapore District save by going green.
JOINT NEWS RELEASE BETWEEN CENTRAL SINGAPORE CDC, PHILIPS and NEA
Singapore, 5 July 2014 - 50 volunteers will be helping 365 low-income households in the Radin Mas constituency make the switch to energy-efficient light bulbs on Saturday, 5 July 2014. Called S.W.I.T.C.H (Simple Ways I Take to Change my Habits) @ Central Singapore, this green initiative targets to help 6,000 needy households in the Central Singapore District switch to energy-efficient bulbs by April 2016.
2 This initiative follows a successful first phase of the programme, which reached out to 4,000 units in the District from 2012 to 2014. It will be launched by Ms Denise Phua, Mayor of Central Singapore District, Mr Sam Tan, Adviser to Radin Mas Grassroots Organisations (GROs), Ms Mieke De Schepper, General Manager of Philips Lighting Singapore, and Mr Koh Kim Hock, Director-General, Environmental Protection Division of the National Environment Agency. On Saturday, the volunteers from Radin Mas GROs, ITE College Central and Philips will visit rental blocks in Radin Mas to install the energy-efficient light bulbs in each household and convey the benefits of these bulbs to residents.
3 “With the installation of energy-saving light bulbs, each household is estimated to save up to $80 in utility bills annually[1] and for our needy residents, every dollar saved is precious. S.W.I.T.C.H @ Central Singapore also aims to help our residents be more environmentally-conscious and adopt energy-saving habits to make our planet more sustainable and we are excited to partner GROs in Central Singapore district, Philips and NEA in this.” said Ms Denise Phua.
4 All households in one- to two-room rental blocks in the Central Singapore District are eligible to have their older, inefficient light bulbs replaced with energy-saving light bulbs. The two-year collaboration will see 6,000 low-income households outfitted with 12,000 energy-efficient light bulbs, with Philips donating 6,000 bulbs toward the cause. This will bring about a total savings of more than $480,000* for these households at the end of the two years.
5 “Philips has been championing the adoption of LED lights in homes for more than 2 years now. In support of sustainability and green living initiatives in Singapore, Philips is proud to not only sponsor LED and other energy saving bulbs but also participate in activation campaign in collaboration with the CDC and NEA. We believe saving energy starts at home by simply switching from conventional to energy-efficient light bulbs,” said Mieke De Schepper, General Manager of Philips Lighting Singapore.
6 Besides installing energy-efficient light bulbs in residents’ homes, volunteers will also share simple energy-saving tips that residents may adopt in their home environment. These include:
- Using a fan instead of an air conditioner to keep cool
- Switching off home appliances at the power socket
- Choosing energy-efficient lighting such as fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and LED bulbs
- Switching off the water heater after a shower
- Choosing energy-efficient models of air conditioners, refrigerators and other household appliances that have more ticks on the energy label.
7 “It is heartening to see the amount of support we have been receiving from the People and Private sectors for the S.W.I.T.C.H. programme since its inception in 2011. Moving forward, we hope to emulate partnerships similar to the one we have with Central Singapore CDC and Philips, and continue to spread the message on good energy saving habits to even more households,” said NEA's Director-General, Environmental Protection Division, Mr Koh Kim Hock.
*Based on a total savings of $80 per year, per household.
[1] Based on the use of two 7-watt energy-saving light bulbs for 8 hours daily with the present electricity tariff of $.2565 per kWh.
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