Sustainability was a key pillar that was mentioned in the 2024 Budget debate for multiple ministries.
What are some of the new measures, and what do they mean for different groups of people? The Straits Times summarises some of the key announcements, from an expanded climate voucher scheme for purchasing energy-saving and water-saving appliances to a new requirement for businesses to declare their carbon footprint.
FOR HOUSEHOLDS
$300 worth of climate vouchers for HDB households From April 15, all HDB households will receive $300 worth of evouchers that can be used to purchase 10 types of energy-saving and water-saving appliances, from air-conditioners to washing machines and refrigerators. The vouchers will be in denominations of $2, $5, $10 and $50, and there will be no restrictions on the amount usable for any appliance.
The vouchers will be valid until Dec 31, 2027, and are an expansion of the current Climate Friendly Households Programme rolled out in November 2020, giving households in one- to three-room HDB flats $225 worth of vouchers. These vouchers were limited to $150 for energy-saving refrigerators, $25 for LED lights and $50 for water-saving shower fittings.
New energy-efficient requirements for household water heaters As water heaters are the third most energy-intensive appliances used in households, making up about 10 per cent of a typical household's energy consumption, minimum energy standards will be developed to phase out the least efficient ones.
A five-tick rating scale, which is already applied to appliances like air-conditioners and refrigerators, will also be applied to water heaters to help consumers identify the efficient models more easily. Consumers can save up to $115 a year in electricity costs by swopping their onetick water heater for a more efficient five-tick water heater.
FOR LANDOWNERS
This story is from the March 11, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 11, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
VICTORIA'S GOLDEN GOALKEEPER
Deyveekan put off ACL surgery, then puts down RI with 3 shoot-out saves
After 3rd over 1,200m and 2nd over 400m, Burridge’s 3YO aims for Ist in Guineas mile
Trainer Steven Burridge's quest for that elusive three-year-old feature win will come down to one last bullet in the $150,000 Group 2 Singapore Guineas (1,600m) on May 18.
Indonesian group eyes big boost from buying Shell's assets
Chandra Asri expects as much as $13.5b in annual revenue from refining site
US govt says it can prosecute Boeing over 737 Max crashes
The US Justice Department on May 14 said Boeing can be prosecuted for two 737 Max crashes that killed 346 people approximately five years ago.
Seatrium shares slide on news of removal from MSCI index
Seatrium's strategy to raise the investment profile of the company via a share consolidation received a blow on May 15 when the stock fell sharply following its removal from the closely watched MSCI index.
Huawel takes on Apple with more China flagship stores
Aggressive move to retake crown for premium electronics as it rebounds from US sanctions
At least 10 cars slide and crash at Funan mall's carpark ramp
Mall says incident under probe; affected drivers given assistance
Man's jail term upped for downloading child sex abuse material
Indonesian’s jail time increased from 6 weeks to eight months after appeal by prosecution
Sales of new private homes slump to 4-year low in April
Lack of major new launches, buyers’ fatigue and high interest rates among the factors
Survey finds only 15% here aware of net-zero emissions target
But two-thirds of respondents keen to contribute when told about country’s goal
