Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on Energy Conservation by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment

Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on Energy Conservation by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment

Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Ministry has new or additional plans to improve energy conservation and manage energy demand by businesses and households; and (b) if so, what are these plans.

Answer:

1 The Government is committed to supporting energy conservation efforts and has recently introduced new measures such as the Energy Efficiency Grant, which supports small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Food Services, Food Manufacturing and Retail sectors to invest in energy efficient equipment. The Energy Market Authority has also introduced Demand Response and Interruptible Load programmes that companies can participate in to optimise their energy consumption. Under these programmes, participating companies receive incentive payments in exchange for reducing electricity consumption during periods of high electricity prices or tight supply.

2 The Government also regularly reviews the support measures for businesses and households to become more energy efficient. For example, the grant support cap for NEA’s Energy Efficiency Fund (E2F) for the adoption of energy efficient technologies in manufacturing was raised this year, from 50 to 70 per cent of qualifying costs. We have also simplified the application process for standard lighting and air-conditioning energy efficiency retrofit projects to encourage take-up. We will also continue to monitor and review the Climate-Friendly Households Programme, which encourages 1-, 2- and 3-room HDB households to switch to resource-efficient and climate-friendly refrigerators, LED lamps and shower fittings.

3 In addition to support measures, the Government also regularly reviews the Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme (MELS) to continually shift the market towards more energy efficient equipment and appliances.

4 We will continue to consult closely with industry and the community to identify new technologies and ways to help businesses and households improve their energy efficiency.