Beginning in January 2025, U-Save and service and conservancy charges (S&CC) rebates will be given to over 950,000 Singaporean households residing in Housing and Development Board (HDB) apartments.
The refunds, which are paid out annually in April, July, October, and January, are a component of the permanent GST Voucher (GSTV) program, which helps lower- to middle-income people with their cost of living and GST payments.
On Monday, December 30, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said January's rebates will be the fourth quarterly disbursement for the 2024 financial year.
Households to get up to S$285 in U-Save
Additional U-Save will be made available to Singaporean HDB households to help them deal with rising utility costs, as was promised in Budget 2024.
Depending on their HDB flat type, qualifying households will get up to S$285 (US$210) in U-Save in January.
According to MOF, eligible households will get up to S$950 this fiscal year, which is 2.5 times the amount of normal U-Save. MOF said, "On average, this will cover about eight months of utility bills for those living in 1- and 2-room flats, and about 4 months of utility bills for those living in 3- and 4-room flats."
Depending on the type of HDB unit, eligible households would also get S&CC rebates for up to one month.
Monthly electricity cost reduction
This fiscal year, qualifying households will receive S&CC rebates for a maximum of four months.
MOF's statement coincides with a reduction in residential gas and electricity rates for the January–March period as a result of lower fuel and energy prices.
The national grid operator SP Group announced on Monday that the power tariff will drop by 3.4%, or 0.98 cent per kWh before Goods and Services Tax (GST), in comparison to the previous quarter.
For families residing in four-room apartments owned by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), this results in a monthly electricity cost reduction of S$3.58 before GST.
U-Save rebates to be credited directly
Due to decreasing fuel costs, City Energy stated the gas rate before GST will also drop by 0.25 cents per kWh in the next quarter, from 22.97 cents per kWh to 22.72 cents per kWh.
Eligible homes can take advantage of the S&CC and U-Save refunds without doing anything.
While the S&CC rebates will be credited immediately to the families' S&CC accounts with their local Town Councils, the U-Save rebates will be credited directly to the households' utilities accounts with SP Services.
SP Group can be reached by phone at 6671 7117 or online if you have any questions about U-Save rebates. You may find more details on the GSTV system online, including answers to often asked questions.
By using their Singpass to connect into My HDBPage via HDB InfoWEB and taking the following actions, residents can verify or inquire about their eligibility for S&CC rebates: My Apartment > Acquired Apartment/Rental Apartment > S&CC Bonus.
Residents should get in touch with their local town councils if they have particular questions about the S&CC payment or account status for their household.
