It may not look like it, but the Earth is struggling for breath.
We’re already seeing the effects of climate change, such as forest fires and natural disasters around the world.
Convincing people to be more environmentally friendly, such as switching to energy-efficient appliances, is not always easy, though.
Unless you get them free from the gahmen, of course.
Everything About the Free $225 E-Vouchers Given to Eligible HDB Households to Buy New Appliances
Over 300,000 HDB households in one-, two- and three-room flats will receive e-vouchers to help them switch to energy- and water-efficient appliances.
The move is part of a joint programme set up by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and PUB.
Called the Climate-Friendly Households Programme, it was launched on Saturday (28 Nov) after being announced earlier this year as part of 2020’s Clean and Green Singapore campaign.
Eligible households will receive three types of e-vouchers:
- $150 to buy a climate-friendly refrigerator
- $50 for water-efficient shower fittings
- $25 for LED lights
As I said, if the gahmen is literally giving you money to be more environmentally-friendly, it’s a win-win situation for you and the planet.
Save Money While Saving the Planet
Energy and water-efficient appliances can also save you money, while you save the planet.
As NEA pointed out, refrigerators are one of the most energy-intensive household appliances.
They account for about 17% of the total electricity consumption in Singapore households, the agency said.
“If each of the more than 300,000 eligible one-, two- and three-room HDB households switched to a more energy-efficient refrigerator, the potential combined electricity cost savings of these households would be about S$160 million over the typical lifespan of the refrigerator,” NEA said.
If you choose to make the switch, the reduction in carbon emissions would be equivalent to the annual emissions from 110,000 cars.
That’s a big deal.
Plus, if each eligible household replaced one shower fitting with a water-efficient model, they would save up to 1.1 million gallons of water per day.
This could reduce your annual water bill by up to $20, which you can then blow on bubble tea and Hello Kitty face masks.
Reader: Okay, but why the LED lights?
Well, unbeknownst to many (including me), LED lights are up to 80% more efficient than traditional lighting such as fluorescent and incandescent lights.
NEA said that if all eligible households make the switch, they could save $3.7 million in annual energy costs, which is enough to power around 5,000 three-room HDB flats.
At the moment, 64% of the eligible households do not use LED lights.
Merchants Include Courts, Gain City, & Harvey Norman
According to CNA, there are currently eight merchants participating in the programme.
They are:
- Bathroom Warehouse
- Best Denki
- Courts
- Gain City
- Harvey Norman
- Mega Discount Store
- NTUC FairPrice
- Sheng Siong
More merchants are expected to join the programme, NEA said.
Eligible households can retrieve their vouchers here.
Featured Image: kandl stock / Shutterstock.com
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