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As a young boy growing up, I went around switching on lights, leaving the fridge door open and switching on more lights as and when I wanted. Not because I needed to, but because I was never aware that using electricity meant spending money. Unfortunately, my poor mother had to tolerate my bad habits and always complained. But I didn't stop – sorry for being such a bad son, Mum. As I grew up and approached adulthood, I started seeing the importance in some of the little details in life. Electricity costs money. Money that I now have to help fork out. I can now see why my mum was so desperate to turn everything off. However, this ultimately begs the golden question: how exactly do you save money on electricity, apart from making it a point to not turn on the lights for hours in a row or cutting down on air-con usage in this Singapore heat? Well, after doing some quick research, my dear ladies and gentlemen... Here are 4 ways you can save money while also conserving electricity, without even having to cut down on air-con use! 1. Consider Blackout curtains Singapore is hot. Imagine this: you’re at home for the afternoon and your house is too damn warm without your trusty air-con doing the grunt work for you. You switch it on and you go, ahhhh. The room is cold even with the sun shining into the room. But wait. Do you even know how your air-con works? Well, if your aircon remote is set to 25 degree Celsius, it’ll keep cooling down the room until it reaches 25 degree Celsius. It will keep consuming electricity to maintain the required temperature while the sunlight keeps heating the room up. So invest in some blackout curtains to block out the sunlight. You’ll see your electricity bill going down too. 2. Choose energy-efficient appliances Back when older appliances were being manufactured, not much thought went into energy conservation. As such, old models tend to be like gold-diggers: They drain more than they give. But that's not to say that older appliances can't be efficient. It's just that often times, newer models might come with a feature that allows them to conserve energy, reduce household bills and lower carbon footprint. Here's a trick: look for the "Energy Star" rating on new appliances, because these could help you assess how energy-efficient the appliance is. Remember, less energy consumed equals to more money saved! Granted, many energy-efficient appliances are more expensive than those without the feature, but you’ll save money in the long run. Plus you're technically saving the world at the same time, so you'll get some positive karma points too. 3. Find out what the Open Electricity Market is about The first thought that comes into anyone’s mind at the moment when the topic of switching to an electricity retailer comes up: "Switch what switch? There’s only SP Group right? " And indeed, I would've agreed with your thoughts in the past, but the present is a very different place. Check this out: The Energy Market Authority (EMA) has introduced the Open Electricity Market, to give you choice and flexibility in buying electricity. There are two options: Option A: Continue buying electricity from SP Group at the regulated tariff as you do today. You do not need to take any further action and life goes on as normal. Or. Option B: You can switch to an electricity retailer that provides a price plan that best meets your needs. Your preferred retailer will work directly with SP Group to make the switch for you. Caught your interest yet? Read on to find out how to switch to a retailer. With the Open Electricity Market, you can benefit from competitive pricing and innovative offers from retailers. So how do you switch’? Well, for starters, simply go here and check out the standard price plans retailers have to offer. Thereafter, contact your preferred retailer and ask for more information on the price plan you're interested in. But wait, before you sign up, remember to. Read through the Fact Sheet on your preferred price plan and a Consumer Advisory that outlines the important things that you should be aware of before signing the contract. Look out for contractual terms such as contract duration, payment terms, early termination charges and auto-renewal clauses. Go through the contract and ask the retailer to explain any terms or conditions that you are not sure of Then all you have left is the signing up process. Your retailer will work with SP Group to make the switch for you. Remember to keep a copy of the contract for your reference. One thing to note, it is not compulsory to switch and there is no deadline to switch. Take your time to understand your options and price plans before making any moves. Simple? Simple. :) If you still feel uncertain, here's some history: before 1997, there was only one telecommunication company in Singapore. In 1997, the market was opened to others and now, we can subscribe to any telco we want! This Open Electricity Market is something like what happened in 1997. 4. Use less hot water A hot shower in the morning might seem like a no-brainer, with the early temperature resembling something out of the Arctic; but did you know that… Heating water actually takes up a lot of energy? And seeing how your electricity bill will increase with more energy you use… You might want to take some cold showers from time to time. Plus here's a hidden perk: taking a cold shower in the morning is believed to ramp up your metabolism for the day. Save some money and be able to lose weight at the same time? Isn't that like killing two birds with one stone? Just Remember Complaining about your electricity bills won’t help unless you do something about it. With that said, try out hack #3. From what we’ve heard, people have said their electricity bills are cut by as much as 20% to 30% after switching to a retailer. Who knows, it might just be the same for you. ;) This article was first published on Goodyfeed.com and written in collaboration with the Energy Market Authority. Featured Image: Seasontime / Shutterstock.com

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