NEA launches the second run of the Energy-Saving Challenge to encourage households to practise energy-saving habits as a way of life to save energy and money, while contributing to climate action.          

Singapore, 5 May 2018 – The 2017 household energy consumption study conducted by the National Environment Agency (NEA) has found that saving money is a motivating factor for four in five households to practise energy-saving actions, but they may not practise them if the actions are perceived to be inconvenient. However, simple actions such as switching off appliances after use, setting the temperature of air-conditioners at 25°C or higher, and choosing energy-efficient appliances that have more ticks [1]> can be easy to practise once they become a habit.

2          Today, NEA launched the second edition of the Energy-Saving Challenge to inform households through publicity and outreach efforts of simple tips that can help them lower their utility bills, while contributing to climate action. Under the Challenge, households also stand a chance to win attractive prizes worth a total of more than $60,000 if they reduce their electricity consumption by at least one per cent. By nudging households to take the first step of incorporating simple energy-saving actions into their lives, the Challenge aims to encourage energy saving practices to become second nature.

3          While almost all our electricity generation comes from the burning of natural gas, which is the cleanest fossil fuel, we can still reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by cutting down on our electricity consumption. This will help build a sustainable future for Singapore, and contribute to our pledge to take climate action as a nation in 2018 and beyond.

Household Energy Consumption in Singapore

4          Singapore’s household electricity consumption has been steadily rising over the years. In 2017, households consumed a total of about 7,295 GWh – up by about 17 per cent from 2007 levels. This is equivalent to each household in Singapore spending an average of about $1,000 per year on electricity consumption.

5          A survey conducted by NEA in 2017 found that air-conditioners (24 per cent), refrigerators (17 per cent) and water heaters (11 per cent) accounted for most of the electricity consumption in a typical home. Other energy guzzlers included lamps, fans and television sets. The survey also revealed that more households in 2017 compared to 2012 were practising actions such as choosing energy-efficient appliances and setting their air-conditioners to 25oC or higher. However, fewer households switched off appliances after use, or opted to use a fan instead of the air-conditioner (refer to Annex A for more details on the study findings).

Energy-Saving Challenge

6          The 2018 edition of the Energy-Saving Challenge is a call to action for households to reduce their electricity consumption and practise the three simple energy-saving tips. The three tips of (i) switching off appliances after use, (ii) setting the temperature of air-conditioners at 25°C or higher, and (iii) choosing energy-efficient appliances that have more ticks can help households easily save at least one per cent of their electricity bills. Households which reduce their electricity use by at least one per cent during the Challenge period from May to August stand a chance to win one of 700 attractive prizes.

7          NEA will be reaching out to households on energy-saving tips through publicity on traditional and digital media platforms, as well as on-ground community engagement activities that will be held at several local touchpoints, such as community events, libraries, community hubs and shopping malls from May to August 2018. Details can be found at www.cgs.sg.

8          The Challenge is a lead up to this year’s Clean and Green Singapore (CGS) campaign. Everyone is encouraged to be an agent of change by adopting sustainable living habits. To help the public better understand how saving energy contributes to climate action, NEA has worked with local popular cartoonist, Mr Lee Chee Chew, to create humorous and educational comic strips on the topic. The comic strips will be used in outreach activities and on digital platforms.

8          This is the second edition of the Challenge, following the inaugural Energy-Saving Challenge in 2017. Last year’s Challenge saw close to 7,000 entries and resulted in 330,000 kWh of electricity saved – enough to power 1,000 three-room flats for more than a month.

9          “My family participated in the Energy-Saving Challenge in 2017, and managed to reduce our electricity bill by turning on our lights only from 7pm onwards, using fans instead of air-conditioners, and choosing energy-efficient appliances. For example, we bought a refrigerator with four ticks on the Energy Label when the old refrigerator stopped working. After the Challenge period, we are still practising these tips as they have become a habit,” said Ms Chan Hui Min, whose family of four was one of the Challenge winners in 2017.

10        Mr Ronnie Tay, Chief Executive Officer of NEA said, “As our economy continues to grow and the population increase, demand for energy will increase in tandem. If we do not use energy wisely, our energy demand will grow unsustainably in the future. Saving energy is an action that can be taken by each and every one of us. I encourage all households to participate in the Challenge and contribute to building a liveable and sustainable Singapore.”

11        NEA will be working closely with the various Community Development Councils (CDCs) to garner more household participation in the Challenge and Climate Action Pledges. “North West CDC will build the capabilities of our youths and engage schools in the North West District to raise awareness on environmental issues within the community. Under the Reduce @ North West initiative, students will rally households to reduce resource wastage and at the same time, encourage participation in the Energy Saving Challenge and residents to take the Climate Action Pledge. I hope that more residents will do their part by taking small steps in their daily lives to change habits and practise environmental consciousness to fight climate change,” said Mayor of the North West District, Dr Teo Ho Pin.

12        Registration for the Challenge is now open and will close on 31 August 2018. Interested households can visit www.cgs.sg for more information and to sign up for the Challenge (refer to Annex B for more details on the Challenge and how the public can apply).

For more information, please contact us at 1800-CALL NEA (1800-2255 632) or submit your enquiries electronically via the Online Feedback Form or myENV mobile application.

 

1          The Energy-Saving Challenge is organised by the National Environment Agency (NEA), and aims to encourage households to reduce their electricity consumption. The inaugural Energy-Saving Challenge, which was launched in June 2017, received close to 7,000 entries. Due to the encouraging response, the Challenge is back for a second run from 1 May to 31 August 2018.

2          This year’s Challenge was launched by Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Masagos Zulkifli, and Mayor of North West District, Dr Teo Ho Pin, at Northpoint City on 5 May 2018.

3          The Challenge is open to all households in Singapore[1]. Under the Challenge, participating households must reduce their electricity use by one per cent or more over the “Challenge Period”, when compared to the “Baseline period”. The Challenge Period is from the months of May to August 2018, and the Baseline Period is from the months of January to April 2018.

4          Registration for the Challenge closes on 31 August 2018. Interested households can sign up for the Challenge at www.cgs.sg, roadshows or any of the collection kiosks at Heartbeat@Bedok, HDB shopping malls[2], Kampung Admiralty, NEA’s Customer Service Centre (Environment Building) and Our Tampines Hub. More information can be found at www.cgs.sg.

Prizes to be won

5          There are 700 prizes worth a total of more than $60,000 to be won. Prizes up for grabs include a pair of return air tickets to Osaka, Japan; travel vouchers; home appliances; hotel stays; and shopping vouchers. These were sponsored by SP Group, as well as City Developments Limited, Mitsubishi Electric, PacificLight Power, Philips Lighting, Siloso Beach Resort and Singapore Airlines.

6          More information on the Challenge and energy-saving tips can be found at www.cgs.sg and www.e2singapore.gov.sg/households.aspx respectively.