One- and two-room HDB households in Hong Kah North start receiving their $25 voucher to redeem LED lights; more than 70,000 households across S’pore eligible for the voucher

Singapore, 2 September 2018 – The National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Hong Kah North Grassroots Organisation have commenced the distribution of the $25 voucher to one- and two-room HDB households in the constituency, which can be used to redeem LED lights. This is part of the progressive roll-out of the “Switch and Save – Use LED” (SSUL) programme to one- and two-room households in Singapore, and follows the launch of the programme in the North East District last month.

2          The announcement was made this morning by Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Amy Khor, who was addressing residents during the roll-out of SSUL @ Hong Kah North. Dr Khor added that more than 3,000 households in the constituency will benefit from the programme. Across Singapore, more than 70,000 households are eligible to receive the voucher.

3          The aim of SSUL is to help households living in one- and two-room public housing flats to switch to using LED lights, which are more energy efficient. According to a study by NEA in 2017, one- and two-room HDB households have the lowest adoption rate of LED lights, with only 28 per cent of households using at least one LED light in their home. In comparison, the average LED adoption rate for all the other housing types taken together is 53 per cent.

4          Eligible households in Hong Kah North are being notified by mail and grassroots volunteers have also been conducting house visits at Bukit Batok West Ave 8 to reach out to the residents. The $25 SSUL vouchers can be used to redeem LED lights at any Home-Fix, Selffix and Sheng Siong stores across Singapore. The vouchers can also be used at Philips Light Lab and SSUL roadshows organised by NEA. The $25 value of the vouchers is enough to cover the cost of four to five LED bulbs.

5          The programme was launched in the North East District on 18 August. Since then, SSUL volunteers have visited more than 700 households in the North East District and Hong Kah North to inform them on how choosing more energy-efficient appliances, such as LED lights, can help them save money and contribute to climate action. LED lights are 80 per cent more energy-efficient compared to incandescent lights, and 40 per cent more energy-efficient compared to compact fluorescent lights (CFL). LED lights generally can last longer as well, and in the long-run, households can save money on both electricity costs and replacement lights by switching to using LED[1]. Please refer to Annex A for more information on the benefits of LED lights.

6          Mr Khoo, a Hong Kah North resident who has benefitted from the programme, said, “The vouchers will come in handy in helping us switch to more energy-efficient lights. LED lights use less energy to light up the room, and as such, using LED will not only help reduce my electricity bill, but also reduce my carbon footprint and save the environment.”

7          Mr Phua Hee, a volunteer who helped elderly residents living in one- and two-room HDB flats in Punggol North install LED lights as part of the outreach efforts, said, “The residents I visited were surprised at how much energy savings they can get if they switched to using LED lights. When I visited them, I took the opportunity to help them change their less energy-efficient lights to LED lights, and they were surprised at how bright the new LED lights are. I am happy to be part of this Climate Action effort, as it is important to conserve the planet’s finite resources, and this initiative will also help low-income families save on their utility bills.”

8          Using more energy-efficient appliances is an important climate action that households can take as electricity is largely produced by the burning of fossil fuels, which depletes our planet’s natural resources and produces carbon emissions. The increasing amount of carbon emissions from human activity contributes to global warming, which is one of the factors behind the long-term trend of rising temperatures that Singapore has been experiencing. Climate change may also result in rising sea levels, which would affect a low-lying country such as Singapore.

9          If all the eligible one- and two-room public housing flats in Hong Kah North and North East District switch to LED lights, they are expected to collectively save about 438,000 kWh annually. This is equivalent to more than $88,000 in energy savings[2], or enough electricity to power 220 one- or two-room flats for a year. The energy saved would also result in the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by more than 180 tonnes per annum.

10        Mr Ronnie Tay, CEO of NEA, said, “We are happy to be able to bring the benefits of SSUL to Hong Kah North residents, and thank our partners, including the Hong Kah North Grassroots Organisation, the North East Community Development Council, partner retailers and outreach volunteers, for their support in this Climate Action SG initiative and in reaching out to the residents. Working hand in hand, we can collectively build a sustainable Singapore.”

[1] Over a usage period of 15,000 hours and for the same output of light, households can save about $150 or $20 by switching to LED bulbs from incandescent and CFL bulbs respectively.

[2] Assuming households use the $25 voucher to replace five 12-W CFL bulbs with five 7-W LED bulbs, and each bulb is used three hours a day.

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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.

ANNEX A

ANNEX B

Photos of “Switch and Save – Use LED” (SSUL) @ Hong Kah North

Dr Amy Khor speaking to Hong Kah North residents on how the “Switch and Save – Use LED” programme will benefit more than 3,000 households in the constituency.

Dr Amy Khor helping a resident redeem LED lights using the “Switch and Save – Use LED”  voucher.

Dr Amy Khor visiting Ms Lily Ter, a resident of Hong Kah North, to help her change her lights to LED lights and explain to her the benefits of LED lights.

Dr Amy Khor with the CEO of Sheng Siong, Mr Lim Hock Chee, (centre), Director-General of Environmental Protection, National Environment Agency, Mr Ram Bhaskar (far left), and the grassroots volunteers who helped reach out to residents on the benefits of LED lights.