80% of homes now equipped with smart electricity meters

Families can track energy use to help pick off-peak plans from at least four retailers

- Chin Hui Shan

At least four electricity retailers are offering plans with lower off-peak rates, as 80 per cent of all residential premises in Singapore have smart electricity meters that tell users how much power they consume and when.

These plans offer different rates for using electricity at different times of the day and can help users lower their bills.

As at Nov 6, utility operator group SP Group said it has installed more than 1.3 million smart electricity meters for residential premises - which is at least 80 per cent of the households in Singapore.

The nationwide deployment of smart meters is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Consumers with these meters can view their half-hourly electricity usage on an app to track their consumption patterns and find ways to reduce their usage.

Four of six retailers with residential plans offer time-of-use plans, according to the Energy Market Authority (EMA): Geneco, PacificLight Energy, Keppel Electric and Senoko Energy Supply.

According to website checks, there are at least five time-of-use plans available. Tuas Power will also launch one in 2026.

Mr Chen Jia switched to a time-of-use plan in August - a Geneco contract that offers a lower electricity rate from 7pm to 7am - after realising that it matches his lifestyle and energy usage patterns.

"Since no one is at home during the day, most of my electricity consumption happens in the evenings when I return home after 7pm," said the 37-year-old engineer.

"The plan suits my lifestyle perfectly because no one is at home from 7am to 7pm, and most of my energy use, such as cooking, laundry and air-conditioning, happens after 7pm," he said. He added that this has allowed him to maximise his electricity cost savings.