Since working from home was made mandatory, it’s been a much-needed respite from super early mornings and peak-hour traffic.
Instead of soaking up the coolness of air conditioning at the office and toiling the hours away at your work desktop, you’re now doing them at home 24/7.
But how’s your electricity bill looking?
Although ‘Circuit Breaker’ has ended, most Singapore employees like you and I will still need to embrace hot-desking in our abodes as the new normal — at least in Phase 1 and 2.
Since the $100 Fortitude Budget utility rebate is a one-off grant, here’s how to avoid accepting soaring electricity bills as our ‘new normal’ too.
Singapore’s 30°C humidity & unpredictable dry spells are infamous among long-time residents.
Add to the mix double the warm body count within 4 walls, residual heat from a collection of laptops & screens plugged in to wall sockets, and you’ll understand why many local households leave the aircon switched on.
Especially when it’s time to hit the sack after a long day at work.
Under PacificLight’s Save While Sleeping plan, tariffs will be charged 35% less from 11pm to 7am. If you’re the kind who die die must sleep with aircon, this plan will be a good fit for you.
When shopping around for a new provider, it’s good to consider the specific electricity needs of your loved ones.
Families we spoke to described up to a 100% spike in electricity bills since the advent of our ‘Circuit Breaker’.
A young couple living in a 3-room HDB flat shared their bill doubled to $220 from $110 in Jan, even on the cheapest plan offered by their provider.
One 4-member household saw a 20-30% increase as their 2 adult daughters worked furiously on their laptops for at least 10 hours daily.
Since electricity bills are calculated based on monthly estimates from metered readings, selecting a plan with a fixed discount or per kWh charge would be a wise choice — if you foresee usage spikes in the future.
Instead of having to call up your provider to clarify hundreds of dollars’ worth of utility bills, the hassle you’ll save with Stick To It (18.08¢/kWh) or Confirm Save (22.5% off), could well be worth it.
Some of us may be hesitant to lock in a 2-3 year commitment or take the leap of faith with a new provider.
At a glance, PacificLight 4 types of plans provide that flexibility:
No contract plan Easy Peasy has a low fixed rate of 16.88¢/kWh with a daily charge of 32¢ starting 9 Jun. Perfect for those looking to dip their toes before taking the dive.
Those in it for the long haul can consider the 36-month plan Super Saver deal which charges 19.31¢/kWh.
Punctual users also get a 5% discount for prompt payments — so this monthly rate could be shaved down to just 18.35¢/kWh.
By being a little kiasu and planning ahead, you could consider alternatives to forking out an extravagant sum to upkeep your fam’s home offices.
Ever since we’ve set up shop at home, eco-warriors among us have been rightfully concerned about the impact of drawing large reserves of energy on the environment.
Enter Sunny Side-Up, which fuels your house with clean, renewable energy at a fixed rate of 17.39¢/kWh.
Besides moderating your energy needs, part of your bill will be invested in renewable energy & reducing your carbon footprint.
You’ll also be the proud owner of a complimentary Renewable Energy Certificate issued for your peace of mind, at the end of the month.
If your interest has been piqued, PacificLight has an exclusive $80 bill rebate for MS News readers who opt for any 24-month plan.
Details for all plans & signups are available here. Do note that the promo is valid till 30 Jun and limited to the first 80 signups.
Remember to key in ‘PLSHARE8’ to claim $80 off your third month’s bill.
Watt a bargain indeed.
Working from home is going to be the new normal for many of us, until a Covid-19 vaccine is found. The lesson here is that super costly utility bills don’t have to be the price we pay for this inevitable lifestyle change.
As long as we consume electricity in moderation & invest in plans that are a good fit for our families, there’ll always be ways to keep all bills as low as possible.
This post is brought to you in collaboration with PacificLight.
Featured image adapted from TheSmartLocal.
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