Latest news with #SingaporeInstituteofTechnology
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
SIT's Punggol Campus to become full-scale living lab with new digital network by end 2025
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE - The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) will soon transform its Punggol campus into a full-scale living lab by the end of 2025 through a campus-wide digital infrastructure called the Living Lab Network. This system will provide students and companies with real-time access to operational campus data for learning and innovation. Announcing this on July 2, Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Education and Sustainability and the Environment, said the network will offer a 'dynamic, data-rich smart infrastructure' where learners and industry can work together. He was speaking at the opening of SIT's three-day Applied Learning Conference at its new Punggol campus. The conference was attended by more than 1,000 educators, industry partners and participants. Developed in partnership with NEC Asia Pacific, an information and communications technology provider, under SIT's Campus as a Living Lab initiative, the new network connects live campus systems with real-time data. SIT's Punggol campus currently hosts three physical living labs, soon to be connected to the new network through more than 20,000 smart sensors. These include an Integrated Building Management System that tracks energy and facilities use; a Multi-Energy Micro-Grid developed with SP Group for learning about renewable energy and grid management; and a District Cooling System by energy solutions company ENGIE that supports sustainable air conditioning across campus. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 3 out of 4 in Singapore cannot identify deepfake content: Cyber Security Agency survey Singapore Ong Beng Seng's court hearing rescheduled one day before he was expected to plead guilty Singapore New $7.5m fund to encourage social service agencies to track impact of their programmes Singapore GrabCab, Singapore's newest taxi operator, hits the roads with over 40 cabs to be rolled out in July Life Star Awards 2025: Xiang Yun and Chen Hanwei are the most decorated actors in show's 30-year history World Paramount settles with Trump over '60 Minutes' Harris interview for $20 million Asia Dalai Lama says he will have successor after his death Business Cathay Cineplexes gets demand for $3.4 million in arrears from Jem landlord The network will give students access to live data from these systems for their assignments and projects. Dr Janil said students can model and visualise data, create digital twins, and work on projects in areas like solar power optimisation, cybersecurity, and smart grid technology. Industry partners, meanwhile, will be able to prototype and test solutions in a controlled but realistic environment. Dr Janil added that such initiatives of applied learning can better connect learners with industry. An SIT spokeswoman said the first users will be undergraduates from the Electrical Power Engineering programme and Industrial Doctorate candidates, with access expanding to more academic programmes over time. SIT's director of the Centre for Digital Enablement, Professor Steven Wong, said the network was a deliberate decision made during the early planning stages for the Punggol Campus. He said: 'It's a rare opportunity to be given a very large plot of space in Singapore to build a campus... So rather than build a campus that houses learning and research, can we flip it around, and use it for applied learning and applied research? 'There's a lot of things that they might not see in textbooks... lab experiments in the lab environment are very controlled. So there's a lot of uncertainty and a lot of problems that they may not see when they actually try to deploy this in real life.' For example, learning about cyber security testing in classrooms or labs is different from solving cyber security problems in real life, he added. Calling the new network a cornerstone of the university's applied learning and research approach , SIT president Professor Chua Kee Chaing said it will prepare students to be ready for the workforce. 'Solving real-world problems will empower our students to think more critically and be better prepared to contribute meaningfully to industry from day one.'
AsiaOne
7 days ago
- Health
- AsiaOne
'It was a calling': Teen who grew up with special needs brother hopes to help others like him, Singapore News
Isabelle Lee had a childhood unlike most of her peers. The aspiring speech therapist grew up looking after her younger brother, Emmanuel, who has special needs, becoming the "quiet and dependable child" she believed her family needed at the time. Speaking to AsiaOne on Thursday (June 26), the 19-year-old described her childhood as "a blend of warmth and complexity". "I grew up in a very loving home, but I also felt that I had to grow up faster than most children my age," she said. Isabelle explained that she felt she had to take on more responsibilities than her peers, such as making sure he completed his homework, ate and drank properly, played safely and felt accompanied. "I had to learn how to manage my own emotions at a young age, be helpful and be good," said the teen. By harnessing her experience as a "glass child", a term which refers to siblings of children with special needs, Isabelle is determined to help others like Emmanuel and herself. She has enrolled for a four-year course in speech and language therapy at the Singapore Institute of Technology starting in September. When asked why she chose to pursue speech therapy over other healthcare or special education-related paths, Isabelle said that the job stood out to her because of the part it played in her and her brother's life. "It touches something very fundamental: the ability to be heard, to be connected and to be understood. For my family, it meant healing and hope. But for me, it was a calling," she said. "It (isn't) just about therapy, but about rebuilding relationships, restoring dignity, and helping every child unlock a potential (only) words can. "I wanted alongside children and families through those hard, beautiful steps towards communication and human connection." She explained that a lot of her family's care, attention and energy was spent on her brother. "His therapy appointments and hospital visits were the centre of my family's life," she said, adding that she sometimes felt unseen, not because anyone meant to ignore her but because "everyone was already doing their best in a very demanding situation". Despite the challenges she faced as a child, Isabelle said that caring for her brother has shaped her in "meaningful and lasting ways". Her experiences taught her patience and empathy, making her attentive to the "silent struggles" others might carry, as well as quiet strength and independence. 'Silence filled the space between us' Emmanuel, 15, was diagnosed with Global Developmental Delay (GDD) and Apraxia at the age of 2. GDD is a condition where a child under five years old experiences significant delays in achieving milestones in developmental areas such as motor skills as well as speech and language, among others. Apraxia is a disorder of the brain and nervous system in which a person is unable to perform tasks or movements like chewing or speaking when asked. These conditions made communication a constant challenge for Isabelle and her family. "I felt helpless when I wasn't able to understand what my brother wanted and I could (feel) his frustration he wasn't able to express his needs," she said "That silence filled the space between us." However, Isabelle also vividly remembers Emmanuel's breakthroughs — like when he said his first word at four years old. "Behind every one of these milestones was a speech therapist who believed in him," she said. Inspired by this journey, Isabelle's mother Janice Tay left her corporate job to start Bridging the Gap — an early intervention centre for children with special needs. "Seeing her vision and sacrifice to create a more inclusive society for children really inspired me to do the same," Isabelle explained. Job shadowing solidified her commitment As she got older, Isabelle got the opportunity to shadow speech therapists at private centres like Bridging the Gap, special education schools and hospitals, which made her even more determined to pursue it as a career. Recalling her time shadowing a speech therapist at Bridging the Gap, the teen spoke about a boy she met who was having issues learning prepositions. While he initially struggled to remember a list of words like front, behind and above, the boy showed improvement over time and one day managed to list the words taught to him correctly. "I saw the smile on the therapist face, but what was (more) heartwarming to me was the joy in the child's eyes... a face of pride, as though (he) had done something meaningful," said Isabelle. "This moment was very important to me because it reminded me that progress in speech therapy isn't always immediate, but is incredibly rewarding." "It was a quiet but powerful affirmation to me that this was the work that I wanted to do — to help each child celebrate their achievements and find joy while helping them find their voice." Every person deserves to be heard When asked what she hopes to achieve in the future, Isabelle said that she wishes to educate and empower those with communication difficulties as well as their families. She also plans to advocate for them in educational settings and amplify their personal stories to improve awareness. "At the heart of it, I want society to move from 'what is wrong with you' to 'how can I understand and connect with you better' because I believe that every person — regardless of the way they communicate — deserves the right and recognition to be heard." [[nid:718460]]
New Paper
17-05-2025
- Business
- New Paper
How to cut $100 from your monthly bills
The phrase "cost of living" is on everyone's minds amid global trade chaos and broader economic uncertainty. So, how do you slash monthly expenses without sacrificing your quality of life? Choose what matters to you and trim the excess, says Associate Professor Pearpilai Jutasompakorn of the Singapore Institute of Technology's accountancy programme. "This is about spending less where you can, yet not cutting so much that you feel miserable or deprived," she says, adding that an aggressively spartan budget might work for a month or two, but will strain quality of life or lead to revenge spending further down the road. Also, it is worth understanding the psychological tactics companies deploy to keep you paying more and trying to avoid the pitfalls. These include bundling (combining multiple products to obscure individual costs), dynamic pricing (adjusting prices based on your online browser behaviour) and choice overload (overwhelming consumers with a variety of options, so you end up relying on default recommendations). Here are some counter-strategies to keep your expenses down. 1. Update your phone plan Since the mid-2010s, the price of each gigabyte (GB) of mobile data has plummeted from dollars to cents, with the rise of SIM-only plans such as Maxx's $9.90 for 290GB or Simba's $10 for 300GB offerings. One way to cut costs is to audit your current phone plan against today's market offerings. PHOTO: PIXABAY This shift stems from the increased affordability of smartphones, making the old contract model obsolete, and competition from new entrants such as Simba and M1, Starhub and Singtel have also launched their own budget sub-brands - Maxx, Eight and Gomo respectively. One way to cut costs is to audit your current plan against today's market offerings. Many consumers who have not revisited their plans in a while or continue to use phone contracts may be paying premium prices for services now available at budget rates. This is partly because the bundling trap of attractive handset subsidies makes it tricky to evaluate the worth of each component of your plan. Here is an example. Pharmaceuticals worker Sathya Prakash, 29, pays $80 a month for his phone contract - a discounted corporate rate - which comes with 110GB of monthly mobile data and a subsidised iPhone 15 Pro Max. He traded the iPhone for around $1,600 at a mobile phone shop in 2024, close to the handset's sticker price at the time, as he did not need it. He calculated that he essentially paid around $14 a month over 24 months, after taking into account the trade-in value of the mobile phone, compared with going for an under-$10 monthly SIM-only plan with greater data allowance and the flexibility of buying a new phone if the desire arose. 2. Question every bundle The bundled model extends beyond mobile phones to internet and pay-TV providers. Despite pay-TV subscriptions plummeting since the early 2010s due to the streaming revolution, many consumers continue to pay for unwatched TV channels bundled together with their internet plan. Plans that bundle TV channels with internet access may not be necessary if you are not planning to watch TV. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO One way to cut costs is to compare your current bundled internet and TV package with standalone internet options from newer entrants, such as MyRepublic's $47.99 or Simba's $29.99 a month for 10Gbps broadband. Some budget-conscious consumers like Mr Jon Phua, 35, have even turned to the increased affordability of mobile data to replace broadband internet entirely. Mr Phua, a communications strategist who lives alone, used to pay for broadband while living with his parents. He now pays an additional $9.90 a month for 290GB monthly mobile data subscription from Maxx on a separate device, which he says is enough to cover his streaming and home internet browsing activity. 3. Consider subscription-hopping Traditional lock-in contracts are designed to maximise value extraction from consumers. While streaming platforms initially offered freedom from this model, they have increasingly imposed steep price hikes. Streaming giant Netflix recently raised costs by $2 to $4 across tiers in April - the second price increase in two years - and Disney announced similar increases in 2024. The cheapest tier at Netflix and Disney+ now comes to $15.98 a month, up from $13.98 and $12.98 respectively. Streaming giant Netflix recently raised costs by $2 to $4 across tiers in Singapore in April - the second price increase in two years. PHOTO: NETFLIX Beyond downgrading to lower-cost and lower-fidelity subscription tiers, one can consider subscription-hopping. This means strategically rotating between various streaming services instead of signing on all year long. According to The New York Times, subscription-hopping has become the new normal in the United States, where more than 29 million subscribers - about a quarter of domestic subscribers - cancelled three or more streaming services over the last two years leading up to 2024. About a third later resubscribed to the cancelled service within six months. Simply pause or cancel your subscription until must-watch content returns, such as the next season of HBO's House Of The Dragon (2022 to present) or Netflix's Squid Game (2021 to present). 4. Leverage family plans Not all bundles are bad. Some service providers still offer cost savings for those looking to get in on plans with their loved ones. Apple One, which comes with 50GB of iCloud backup allowance, as well as access to Apple TV+ and Music, costs $23.95 a month. Its family plan, which can be shared with up to five people, offers the same access and 200GB of backup allowance for $29.95 a month. Family plans or password sharing also exist for Spotify, YouTube Premium, Google One and Amazon Prime, and most VPN services. Sign up for a family plan on platforms such as Spotify to benefit from cost savings. PHOTO: REUTERS 5. Scrutinise cashback services Those looking to cut costs might look to cashback services such as Shopback or Fave to shave a few dollars off their purchases. However, their impact can be more complex than advertised. Mr Ian, a 28-year-old civil servant who declined to share his last name, has accumulated $4,579.13 in lifetime earnings on Shopback since 2017, primarily from booking travel expenses through the platform. "It's very lucrative for accommodation and tour bookings, as the bonus cashback can sometimes be over 10 per cent," he says, adding that cashback can be close to 100 per cent for other items such as VPN services. Cashback services may come in useful to shave off a few dollars on purchases, but note hidden traps such as dynamic pricing. PHOTO: PIXABAY However, he also notes that finding good deals can be tough. Dynamic pricing means that at times, he observes a higher starting rate on offer when booking a trip through Shopback (as opposed to using a booking platform without it), negating the cashback earned. As such, the amount he has earned from the platform may be less positive than it sounds. When using cashback services, be wary of hidden traps like dynamic pricing and price anchoring, as well as the artificial progress of watching your cashback grow as an incentive to keep using the platform, even though better deals may exist elsewhere. 6. Eliminate insurance redundancies According to the 2023 household expenditure survey by the Department of Statistics, households spent an average of $590 on insurance and financial services - the largest expense after transportation, food and housing. Schedule insurance policy reviews whenever you experience a major life change, such as marriage, family or career change. PHOTO: PIXABAY Ms Helen Shen, insurance firm Singlife's group head of products, recommends reassessing coverage if monthly premiums exceed 15 per cent of take-home pay. "Schedule insurance policy reviews every one to two years, or whenever you experience a major life change, such as marriage, family or a career change," says Ms Shen, who adds that potential adjustments can include dropping coverage that is no longer needed. She notes that while a general guideline is to have insurance protection that is nine times your annual income for death and total and permanent disability, and four times for critical illness, these are just starting points that should take into account one's unique circumstances and budget. 7. Revisit house brands Another area for cost savings comes from grocery shopping. In Singapore, supermarket house brands are increasingly a staple in consumers' grocery baskets. In February, it was reported that close to $1 billion of FairPrice Group's sales in 2024 came from its portfolio of Own Brands, up from $500 million in 2022. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH Close to $1 billion - or 20 per cent - of FairPrice Group's sales in 2024 came from its portfolio of Own Brands, up from $500 million in 2022, reported The Straits Times in February. These brands include FairPrice's eponymous house brand, as well as labels such as Pasar, Golden Chef and Delicato, which are typically 10 to 15 per cent cheaper than branded alternatives. Part of the popularity of these brands stems from how e-commerce and cost of living are altering consumer expectations. For instance, communications worker Eleanor Tan says that comparison shopping with e-commerce platforms is an essential part of her grocery shopping experience. Instead of going for Nespresso coffee pods, which cost 80 cents to over $1 a pod, she purchases generic brand alternatives from Lazada which sell for 50 cents a pod. Consider challenging brand loyalty by doing your own blind taste tests of supermarket house brands versus lower-cost alternatives. Also, question the middle tier: When faced with "good, better, best" options, evaluate whether the entry-level product truly lacks any essential features. 8. Stretch your dollar when you travel Some Singaporeans cross the border to Johor Bahru for cheaper fuel or groceries, and sometimes tag on other services at the same time. Stretch your dollar when you travel, such as across the Causeway to Johor Bahru. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO On a trip to the Malaysian city in 2021, Ms Khosshala Balu, a 28-year-old nurse, got her braces done. At the time, the full procedure cost RM5,000 (S$1,500) in JB, compared with between $3,000 and $4,000 in Singapore. If you are planning to travel, consider adding personal care services such as hairstyling or manicures during the trip that may reap some savings. 9. Choose energy-efficient appliances Eligible Singaporean HDB and private residential households can claim a total of $400 worth of Climate Vouchers, which can be used to offset the purchase of 10 types of energy- and water-efficient appliances and fittings. These vouchers are valid until December 2027. Claim a total of $400 worth of Climate Vouchers, which can be used to offset the purchase of 10 types of energy- and water-efficient appliances and fittings. PHOTO: ST FILE The potential cost savings from energy efficiency can be significant. According to the National Environmental Agency (NEA), a two-tick air-conditioning unit model will cost about $300 more in electricity bills a year (based on electricity cost of 29.9 cents per kWh of electricity, assuming a multi-split 7.5kW cooling capacity air-conditioner that is used eight hours daily) as compared with using an air-conditioner with five ticks. As air-conditioning accounts for about 24 per cent of an average household's electricity consumption according to a 2017 NEA survey, consider other ways to get cooling bills down. Mr Ali Osman, a 30-year-old who works in agricultural sales, says his family switches the unit from air-conditioning to dehumidifier mode after flushing out the warm and humid air in their home. He has since seen a quarter reduction in energy use on air-conditioning, as well as a lower energy bill.
Straits Times
17-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Feeling the pinch? How to cut $100 from your monthly bills
An aggressively spartan budget may strain quality of life or lead to revenge spending further down the road. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO Feeling the pinch? How to cut $100 from your monthly bills SINGAPORE – The phrase 'cost of living' is on everyone's minds amid global trade chaos and broader economic uncertainty. So, how do you slash monthly expenses without sacrificing your quality of life? Choose what matters to you and trim the excess, says Associate Professor Pearpilai Jutasompakorn of the Singapore Institute of Technology's accountancy programme. 'This is about spending less where you can, yet not cutting so much that you feel miserable or deprived,' she says, adding that an aggressively spartan budget might work for a month or two, but will strain quality of life or lead to revenge spending further down the road. Also, it is worth understanding the psychological tactics companies deploy to keep you paying more and trying to avoid the pitfalls. These include bundling (combining multiple products to obscure individual costs), dynamic pricing (adjusting prices based on your online browser behaviour) and choice overload (overwhelming consumers with a variety of options, so you end up relying on default recommendations). Here are some counter-strategies to keep your expenses down. 1. Update your phone plan Since the mid-2010s, the price of each gigabyte (GB) of mobile data has plummeted from dollars to cents, with the rise of SIM-only plans such as Maxx's $9.90 for 290GB or Simba's $10 for 300GB offerings. One way to cut costs is to audit your current phone plan against today's market offerings. PHOTO: PIXABAY This shift stems from the increased affordability of smartphones, making the old contract model obsolete, and competition from new entrants such as Simba and M1, Starhub and Singtel have also launched their own budget sub-brands – Maxx, Eight and Gomo respectively. One way to cut costs is to audit your current plan against today's market offerings. Many consumers who have not revisited their plans in a while or continue to use phone contracts may be paying premium prices for services now available at budget rates. This is partly because the bundling trap of attractive handset subsidies makes it tricky to evaluate the worth of each component of your plan. Here is an example. Pharmaceuticals worker Sathya Prakash, 29, pays $80 a month for his phone contract – a discounted corporate rate – which comes with 110GB of monthly mobile data and a subsidised iPhone 15 Pro Max. He traded the iPhone for around $1,600 at a mobile phone shop in 2024, close to the handset's sticker price at the time, as he did not need it. He calculated that he essentially paid around $14 a month over 24 months, after taking into account the trade-in value of the mobile phone, compared with going for an under-$10 monthly SIM-only plan with greater data allowance and the flexibility of buying a new phone if the desire arose. 2. Question every bundle The bundled model extends beyond mobile phones to internet and pay-TV providers. Despite p ay-TV subscriptions plummeting since the early 2010s due to the streaming revolution , many consumers continue to pay for unwatched TV channels bundled together with their internet plan. Plans that bundle TV channels with internet access may not be necessary if you are not planning to watch TV. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO One way to cut costs is to compare your current bundled internet and TV package with standalone internet options from newer entrants, such as MyRepublic's $47.99 or Simba's $29.99 a month for 10Gbps broadband. Some budget-conscious consumers like Mr Jon Phua, 35, have even turned to the increased affordability of mobile data to replace broadband internet entirely. Mr Phua, a communications strategist who lives alone, used to pay for broadband while living with his parents. He now pays an additional $9.90 a month for 290GB monthly mobile data subscription from Maxx on a separate device, which he says is enough to cover his streaming and home internet browsing activity. 3. Consider subscription-hopping Traditional lock-in contracts are designed to maximise value extraction from consumers. While streaming platforms initially offered freedom from this model, they have increasingly imposed steep price hikes. Streaming giant Netflix recently raised costs by $2 to $4 across tiers in April – the second price increase in two years – and Disney announced similar increases in 2024. The cheapest tier at Netflix and Disney+ now comes to $15.98 a month, up from $13.98 and $12.98 respectively. Streaming giant Netflix recently raised costs by $2 to $4 across tiers in Singapore in April – the second price increase in two years. PHOTO: NETFLIX Beyond downgrading to lower-cost and lower-fidelity subscription tiers, one can consider subscription-hopping. This means strategically rotating between various streaming services instead of signing on all year long. According to The New York Times, subscription-hopping has become the new normal in the United States, where more than 29 million subscribers – about a quarter of domestic subscribers – cancelled three or more streaming services over the last two years leading up to 2024. About a third later resubscribed to the cancelled service within six months. Simply pause or cancel your subscription until must-watch content returns, such as the next season of HBO's House Of The Dragon (2022 to present) or Netflix's Squid Game (2021 to present). 4. Leverage family plans Not all bundles are bad. Some service providers still offer cost savings for those looking to get in on plans with their loved ones. Apple One, which comes with 50GB of iCloud backup allowance, as well as access to Apple TV+ and Music, costs $23.95 a month. Its family plan, which can be shared with up to five people, offers the same access and 200GB of backup allowance for $29.95 a month. Family plans or password sharing also exist for Spotify, YouTube Premium, Google One and Amazon Prime, and most VPN services. Sign up for a family plan on platforms such as Spotify to benefit from cost savings. PHOTO: REUTERS 5. Scrutinise cashback services Those looking to cut costs might look to cashback services such as Shopback or Fave to shave a few dollars off their purchases. However, their impact can be more complex than advertised. Mr Ian, a 28-year-old civil servant who declined to share his last name, has accumulated $4,579.13 in lifetime earnings on Shopback since 2017, primarily from booking travel expenses through the platform. 'It's very lucrative for accommodation and tour bookings, as the bonus cashback can sometimes be over 10 per cent,' he says, adding that cashback can be close to 100 per cent for other items such as VPN services. Cashback services may come in useful to shave off a few dollars on purchases, but note hidden traps such as dynamic pricing. PHOTO: PIXABAY However, he also notes that finding good deals can be tough. Dynamic pricing means that at times, he observes a higher starting rate on offer when booking a trip through Shopback (as opposed to using a booking platform without it), negating the cashback earned. As such, the amount he has earned from the platform may be less positive than it sounds. When using cashback services, be wary of hidden traps like dynamic pricing and price anchoring, as well as the artificial progress of watching your cashback grow as an incentive to keep using the platform, even though better deals may exist elsewhere. 6. Eliminate insurance redundancies According to the 2023 household expenditure survey by the Department of Statistics, households spent an average of $590 on insurance and financial services – the largest expense after transportation, food and housing. Schedule insurance policy reviews whenever you experience a major life change, such as marriage, family or career change. PHOTO: PIXABAY Ms Helen Shen, insurance firm Singlife's group head of products, recommends reassessing coverage if monthly premiums exceed 15 per cent of take-home pay. 'Schedule insurance policy reviews every one to two years, or whenever you experience a major life change, such as marriage, family or a career change,' says Ms Shen , who adds that potential adjustments can include dropping coverage that is no longer needed. She notes that while a general guideline is to have insurance protection that is nine times your annual income for death and total and permanent disability, and four times for critical illness, these are just starting points that should take into account one's unique circumstances and budget. 7. Revisit house brands Another area for cost savings comes from grocery shopping. In Singapore, supermarket house brands are increasingly a staple in consumers' grocery baskets. In February, it was reported that close to $1 billion of FairPrice Group's sales in 2024 came from its portfolio of Own Brands, up from $500 million in 2022. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH Close to $1 billion – or 20 per cent – of FairPrice Group's sales in 2024 came from its portfolio of Own Brands, up from $500 million in 2022, reported The Straits Times in February. These brands include FairPrice's eponymous house brand, as well as labels such as Pasar, Golden Chef and Delicato, which are typically 10 to 15 per cent cheaper than branded alternatives. Part of the popularity of these brands stems from how e-commerce and cost of living are altering consumer expectations. For instance, communications worker Eleanor Tan says that comparison shopping with e-commerce platforms is an essential part of her grocery shopping experience. Instead of going for Nespresso coffee pods, which cost 80 cents to over $1 a pod, she purchases generic brand alternatives from Lazada which sell for 50 cents a pod. Consider challenging brand loyalty by doing your own blind taste tests of supermarket house brands versus lower-cost alternatives. Also, question the middle tier: When faced with 'good, better, best' options, evaluate whether the entry-level product truly lacks any essential features. 8. Stretch your dollar when you travel Some Singaporeans cross the border to Johor Bahru for cheaper fuel or groceries, and sometimes tag on other services at the same time. Stretch your dollar when you travel, such as across the Causeway to Johor Bahru. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO On a trip to the Malaysian city in 2021, Ms Khosshala Balu, a 28-year-old nurse, got her braces done. At the time, the full procedure cost RM5,000 (S$1,500) in JB, compared with between $3,000 and $4,000 in Singapore. If you are planning to travel, consider adding personal care services such as hairstyling or manicures during the trip that may reap some savings. 9. Choose energy-efficient appliances Eligible Singaporean HDB and private residential households can claim a total of $400 worth of Climate Vouchers, which can be used to offset the purchase of 10 types of energy- and water-efficient appliances and fittings. These vouchers are valid until December 2027. Claim a total of $400 worth of Climate Vouchers, which can be used to offset the purchase of 10 types of energy- and water-efficient appliances and fittings. PHOTO: ST FILE The potential cost savings from energy efficiency can be significant. According to the National Environmental Agency (NEA), a two-tick air-conditioning unit model will cost about $300 more in electricity bills a year (based on electricity cost of 29.9 cents per kWh of electricity, assuming a multi-split 7.5kW cooling capacity air-conditioner that is used eight hours daily) as compared with using an air-conditioner with five ticks. As air-conditioning accounts for about 24 per cent of an average household's electricity consumption according to a 2017 NEA survey, consider other ways to get cooling bills down. Mr Ali Osman, a 30-year-old who works in agricultural sales, says his family switches the unit fro m air-conditioning to dehumidifier mode after flushing out the warm and humid air in their home. He has since seen a quarter reduction in energy use on air-conditioning, as well as a lower energy bill. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
