Nearly one million Singaporean households to receive rebates in July as energy tariffs fall

Close to a million Singaporean households living in Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats will receive rebates for utilities and service charges in July 2025.

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) said on 30 June 2025 that the disbursement is part of the permanent Goods and Services Tax (GST) Voucher scheme and the enhanced Assurance Package.

The initiative comes as authorities continue efforts to ease cost-of-living pressures faced by households amid inflationary conditions and global economic uncertainty.

Rebates based on flat type

Eligible households will receive up to S$190 (US$141) in U-Save rebates for utilities and up to one month of service and conservancy charges (S&CC) rebates.

The amount depends on the size of the flat. One- and two-room households will receive the maximum of S$190 in U-Save and a full month’s S&CC rebate.

Households in four-room flats will receive S$150 in U-Save and a half-month S&CC rebate. Larger flats receive correspondingly smaller S&CC rebates, though all eligible households benefit from U-Save disbursements.

Automatic crediting

Rebates will be automatically credited. U-Save amounts will be reflected in SP Services accounts, while S&CC rebates will be credited directly to town council accounts.

In total, households may receive up to S$760 in U-Save rebates and up to 3.5 months of S&CC rebates in the 2025 financial year. These rebates are disbursed quarterly in April, July, October, and January.

Eligibility criteria

Eligibility is tied to citizenship and property ownership. For U-Save rebates, a household must have at least one Singaporean owner or occupier. If a flat is rented out, at least one tenant must be Singaporean.

Households where individuals own more than one property are not eligible for U-Save.

To qualify for S&CC rebates, there must be a Singaporean flat owner or occupier, and none of the owners or essential occupiers may own private property. Flats that have been fully rented out are excluded.

Residents may check eligibility through My HDBPage using Singpass credentials.

The MOF also issued a reminder that government officers will never request banking information or money transfers over the phone, following reports of scams exploiting public support schemes.

Tariff reductions announced

Separately, national grid operator SP Group announced that electricity tariffs will fall by 2.3 per cent for the July to September 2025 quarter.

This reduction translates to 0.65 cent per kilowatt-hour (kWh) before GST, lowering the electricity tariff from 28.12 cents to 27.47 cents per kWh.

For an average HDB four-room household, this equates to a reduction of about S$2.36 in monthly electricity bills before GST.

Gas supplier City Energy also confirmed that tariffs will decline, falling from 22.72 cents to 22.28 cents per kWh.

Both SP Group and City Energy review tariffs quarterly under guidelines from the Energy Market Authority (EMA).

Drivers of the tariff changes

SP Group explained that the primary driver of the fall is lower energy costs, particularly a decline in natural gas prices. These costs make up the largest portion of electricity tariffs.

Tariffs are determined using the average natural gas price over the first 2.5 months of the preceding quarter.

Officials noted that tariffs remain subject to global fuel price fluctuations, which can be influenced by geopolitical events, including conflicts in the Middle East.

Electricity tariffs consist of four components: energy costs paid to generation companies, network costs paid to SP Group, market support service fees, and a fee to the Energy Market Company for operating the wholesale market.

Broader context

The combination of rebates and tariff reductions is expected to provide relief for households facing higher daily expenses. Singapore, like many economies, has experienced elevated inflation in housing-related costs, food, and energy since the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent supply chain disruptions.

The Assurance Package, first announced in 2020 and later enhanced, aims to cushion Singaporeans from the impact of the GST hike and external price pressures. The scheme is funded through government surpluses and returns from investment income.

The U-Save component was introduced in 2012 under the GST Voucher framework to help households defray utility costs.

Meanwhile, service and conservancy charge rebates, managed by town councils, assist families with municipal fees such as estate maintenance, waste collection, and cleaning services.

Impact on households

For lower-income households, the combined support can significantly reduce monthly out-of-pocket expenditure. A household in a one- or two-room flat may receive rebates equivalent to several months of utility and conservancy payments in a year.

For middle-income families in four-room flats, while the benefits are smaller, the concurrent decline in energy tariffs could help offset broader inflationary pressures.

Continued monitoring

Authorities have stated that they will continue to monitor cost-of-living developments closely. The government has signalled readiness to adjust support measures if needed, particularly if global energy prices rise again.

SP Group and City Energy will publish the next set of tariff revisions at the end of September 2025, covering the October to December quarter.