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ABOUT 800,000 Singapore households in Housing Board flats can expect to receive about $80 million worth of utilities rebates next year.
The Ministry of Finance (MOF) said yesterday that it will dole out $50 million worth of utilities rebates next month, and another $30 million in July.
The amount of Utilities-Save (U-Save) rebates disbursed will depend on the type of household.
For instance, one- and two-room flat dwellers will receive $190, while executive-flat dwellers can expect to get $45.
On average, those living in one-room and two-room HDB flats will get rebates that will offset about 20 per cent of their annual utility bills. The amount of rebates will be reflected in the utility bills of all eligible households next month and in July.
The U-Save rebates were part of the $4-billion Goods and Services Tax (GST) Offset Package announced in the 2007 Budget.
They aim to help Singaporeans, especially those in low- and middle-income households, cope with higher costs.
Utilities rebates were first given in 1996 to help offset increasing electricity tariffs.
GST Credits and Senior Citizens' Bonus were also included in the GST Offset Package in 2007. The highest amount of rebates doled out were $226 million and $200 million, issued in 2001 and 2008 respectively. MOF's statement comes a day after SP Services said that it would raise electricity tariffs by 0.76 cents in the first quarter of next year. The price of electricity is adjusted quarterly to reflect changes in the cost of power generation.
Pre-school teacher Louisa Tiong, 27, welcomed the rebates.
Mrs Tiong, who lives in a two-room flat in Toa Payoh, said the amount of U-Save rebates she stands to receive will offset about 22 per cent of her monthly $70 utilities bill.
She said: "I'm not sure if it will cover the increased price of electricity but something is better than nothing."
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The Ministry of Finance (MOF) said yesterday that it will dole out $50 million worth of utilities rebates next month, and another $30 million in July.
The amount of Utilities-Save (U-Save) rebates disbursed will depend on the type of household.
For instance, one- and two-room flat dwellers will receive $190, while executive-flat dwellers can expect to get $45.
On average, those living in one-room and two-room HDB flats will get rebates that will offset about 20 per cent of their annual utility bills. The amount of rebates will be reflected in the utility bills of all eligible households next month and in July.
The U-Save rebates were part of the $4-billion Goods and Services Tax (GST) Offset Package announced in the 2007 Budget.
They aim to help Singaporeans, especially those in low- and middle-income households, cope with higher costs.
Utilities rebates were first given in 1996 to help offset increasing electricity tariffs.
GST Credits and Senior Citizens' Bonus were also included in the GST Offset Package in 2007. The highest amount of rebates doled out were $226 million and $200 million, issued in 2001 and 2008 respectively. MOF's statement comes a day after SP Services said that it would raise electricity tariffs by 0.76 cents in the first quarter of next year. The price of electricity is adjusted quarterly to reflect changes in the cost of power generation.
Pre-school teacher Louisa Tiong, 27, welcomed the rebates.
Mrs Tiong, who lives in a two-room flat in Toa Payoh, said the amount of U-Save rebates she stands to receive will offset about 22 per cent of her monthly $70 utilities bill.
She said: "I'm not sure if it will cover the increased price of electricity but something is better than nothing."
[email protected]
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