On average, household expenses in Singapore can make up at least 14.5% on your monthly spending. This would mean that an average 5 room flat in Singapore would be raking up $1,000 in electricity bills per year. Such high spending on electricity bills can be avoided as long as we make a conscious effort on our electrical consumption habits.

Saving on electricity bills can be easy especially when these savings can be used for the finer things in life. What do you do to save money on your electricity bills?

Here are Geneco’s 10 tips on how to avoid sky high electricity bills.

Tip #1: Doing your laundry smart

Many believe that doing our laundry in hot water can result in cleaner clothes. However, it could make stubborn stains like coffee stains permanent. Additionally, nearly 90% of the energy consumption of a washing machine goes to heating the water. The next time you do your laundry; do consider switching your washing machine settings to cold water instead.

Tip #2: Iron it Out

Start your ironing with clothes that require lesser heat such as silk and wool before moving on to fabrics that require more heat such as cotton. This would prevent unnecessary heating, cooling and re-heating again which would consume more electricity.

Tip #3: Light more for less

If you haven’t switched the lights in your house to light-emitting diode bulbs (LEDs), now is the time. They use 85% less electricity than incandescent bulbs and last 25 times longer. Under NEA’s Switch and Save – Use LED (SSUL) programme, $25 vouchers for LED lights have already been sent to some 80,000 households living in one-room and two-room HDB flats. NEA will extend the programme to three-room HDB households as well. Light up your house with LED lights and save so much more on your electricity today. Read more about our tips on buying household appliances.

Tip #4: Run your refrigerator for less

Hiding in the corner of all our kitchen is our trusty refrigerator. They are always overlooked when it comes to being more environmentally friendly, however, refrigerators are in fact, are one of the household electrical appliances that consumes the most electricity. Constant opening and closing of the fridge wastes an enormous amount of energy, and can cause dust to build up. The more dust we have on the refrigerator coils, the more energy is required to cool the refrigerator, driving the power bill up.

Tip #5: Bye Bye to standby

75% of the electrical use by home electronics occurs when they’re on standby. These “energy vampires” suck electricity all day long—costing you an extra $100 each year. So if you’d like to avoid burning a hole in your pocket, unplug your electronics or plug them into a power strip, then turn off the strip.

Tip #6: Use the right ring for the right thing

If your cooker has a small ring, use a small pan. You might only be heating up a small meal, and doing so in a big pan wastes a lot of energy. Conversely if you try and heat a large pan on the small ring you’re more likely to end up heating for longer than saving any money or energy.

Tip #7: Don’t overpay for the electricity you are using

Choosing a good electricity retailer in the Open Electricity Market can be just as important in getting more savings on your electricity bills. Visit geneco.sg for the most competitive electricity prices that are tailored for you today.

Tip #8: Buying energy efficient appliances

Throwing out a perfectly good appliance won’t save you much money, but when it is time to swap, going for one with a high energy-efficiency rating can be worth the investment. Lookout for the NEA energy label on appliances such as TVs and refrigerators. The more ticks the device has, the less electricity you consume and the more money you save.

Tip #9: Let there be light

Remember to clean your lamps and light fixtures regularly as dust on lamps reduce light transmission. Alternatively, do consider using natural light for your lighting needs instead to save even more on electricity!

Tip #10: Go smart with smart meters

Did you know that you have an option to switch to an AMI meter, or smart meter?

With smart meters, your electricity consumption is measured real-time and remotely read at half-hourly intervals. By monitoring your electricity consumption usage, you will be able to eliminate electricity wastage, thus lowering your bill.

Switch Over to Geneco Today.

You have the power to make a change with Geneco, a top electricity retailer with 48 years of experience.

Geneco is one of Singapore’s top electricity retailer, belonging to a global network of energy and utility companies known as YTL Power International, which is a subsidiary of the YTL Group. Geneco’s parent company YTL PowerSeraya is also one of Singapore’s first and largest electricity generators, with a licensed generating capacity of 3,100 MW. By switching over to Geneco, you will be able to enjoy 30% savings on your electricity bills, measured against the regulated tariff. Look for our most savings plan, Get It Fixed 24 at a fixed rate of 17.98¢ per kWh, (as of 1 March 2020). With over 48 years of experience in the energy business, you could say that we know a thing or two about power.

The average monthly household electricity consumption of a 4-room public housing unit was 372.9 kWh in 2017 (statistics: Energy Market Authority) While the consumption is lower than that of the same 4-room HDB unit in 2015 at 387 kWh, there are many ways you can save big on your energy costs while helping the environment at the same time. Here at Geneco, we share 3 tips to cut back your energy use and reduce your bills.

Tip #1: Changing out your light bulb

Did You Know?

LED bulbs use up to 85% less electricity than incandescent light bulbs to produce the same amount of light, and can last about 20 times longer.

With the adoption of energy-saving applicances such as LED light bulbs by almost every major applicances brand, it may sometimes be easy to overlook the From 2023, all light bulbs sold in Singapore are likely to be as energy efficient as a light emitting diode (LED) bulb. However, buying a simple light bulb is not so simple anymore. As technology has advanced and environmental awareness has increased, energy efficiency has become a big factor for consumers. Choose energy efficient lamps such as LED bulbs over incandescent or halogen lights. Using a 42W incandescent light bulb instead of a 7W LED bulb can save your over $100 per bulb per year*. (image and information source: Straits Time)

Tip #2: Consider the needs of your family and get the appropriate sized fridge

Do you really need such a big refrigerator? Consider this before you make the decision on which refrigerator to buy. When buying a refrigerator, energy efficiency is achieved best when considering freezer placement.

Do you know?

The most energy efficient refrigerator style is a top-mount freezer refrigerator as it uses 10-30% less energy than the same models of side-by-side refrigerators.

Choosing the smallest model refrigerator that meets your needs would save you much more in the long run. Also, leave at least a 1-inch clearance around the unit for adequate airflow.

Before you purchase the fridge, question whether additional features, such as automatic icemakers and through-the-door dispensers are needed as they increase energy use.

Tip #3: Changing your air conditioner

Choose the right cooling capacity is paramount in buying air-conditioners. Oversized air-conditioners would result in wastage of electricity when running it. Likewise, an undersized air-conditioner would be overworked, leading in inefficiency. From 1 January 2008, household air-conditioners and refrigerators that are sold in Singapore must be affixed with an Energy Label under the Environmental Protection and Management Act.

Do you know?

Look out for the energy-saving setting in your air-conditioners. This means once once your room has cooled off, the unit will turn off not only the compressor but also the fan thus conserving energy.

Air-conditioners with more ticks on the energy label are more energy efficient. A 2-tick model will cost you about $270 more in electricity bills a year* as compared to using a 5-tick air-conditioner. You can view the list of air-conditioner models and their energy efficiency ratings at www.nea.gov.sg/els

Here’s a bonus tip!

Keep your household electricity bill low consistently by switching over to Geneco for immediate savings.

In 2017, Energy Market Authority (EMA) rolled out The Open Electricity Market that allows you to enjoy more choices and flexibility when buying electricity. This translates to immediate savings against the regulated tariff. i.e. 25.52 cents per kWh effective from 1 Jan – 31 Mar 2019 (incl. GST), and managing your household finances lower. Visit https://genecoprdz.azurewebsites.net/open-electricity-market/ to find out your eligibility.

You have the power to make a change with Geneco, a top electricity retailer with 48 years of experience.

Geneco is one of Singapore’s top electricity retailer in the Open Electricity Market, belonging to a global network of energy and utility companies known as YTL Power International, which is a subsidiary of the YTL Group. Geneco’s parent company YTL PowerSeraya is also one of Singapore’s first and largest electricity generators, with a licensed generating capacity of 3,100 MW.By switching over to Geneco, you will be able to enjoy savings of over 30% off your electricity bills, measured against the regulated tariff. Look for our most savings plan, Get It Fixed 36 at a fixed rate of 17.98¢ per kWh, (as of 1 July 2019) or with our Get Free Sundays plan, never worry about paying for electricity on Sunday again. With over 48 years of experience in the energy business, you could say that we know a thing or two about power.