Most Singaporeans are now able to engage with the Open Electricity Market (OEM) by buying electricity from a list of 13 retailers. For those who intend to change to another retailer or are preparing for the OEM’s extension to your area, learning about the different metering options is a good start to your switching journey.
Types of Meters
Monitoring your electricity consumption pattern and load helps meter reading authority and yourself, as consumers, in gauging your bill.
There are two types meters – cumulative meters and smart meters. Both of them differ in how often they read your electricity consumption. Cumulative meters are the default meters fixed in most homes in Singapore, while smart meters have seen an increasing rate of adoption in recent years.
No matter which meter you opt for, SP Group will be the one reading it and provide services related to it (e.g. set-up).
Cumulative Meters
Sometimes known as Static Residential Load Profile (SRLP) meters, are read bimonthly. Therefore, they are read six times annually. In the gap months when readings are not taken, SP Group gauges a household’s electricity consumption. These readings are manually noted, based on estimations.
Following a methodology which is approved by the Energy Market Authority (EMA), SP Group multiplies the average daily electricity usage for the last two readings by the number of days in the current billing month. For example, in April, there are 31 days. The average consumption is multiplied by 31 to derive an estimation of how much electricity a consumer has consumed.
Smart Meters
Sometimes known as AMI meters, these meters have an advanced metering infrastructure which allows them to measure your electricity consumption every 30 minutes.These meters mean that manual reading and estimation of electricity consumption is no longer required and your data is sent electronically to your provider for billing purposes. This means you are always billed for the electricity you have actually used, not an estimation. There are two types of AMI meters; single-phase and three-phase. The type of meter you need will depend on your home or premises’ voltage intake level, but most residential consumers only require a single-phase meter.
I Want to Switch, Do I Need a Smart Meter?
This is dependent on your chosen electricity provider. Check with them and they will be able to advise you on whether you need to make the upgrade. There is usually a one-time installation fee of $40 (excludes 7% GST). Even if you want to remain with SP Group as your electricity provider, switching to a smart meter is an option available to you.
Are There Other Benefits to Using a Smart Meter?
Yes, there are. Firstly, smart meters accurately record your electricity consumption every half an hour. Due to that, you can see frequently updated data regarding your usage pattern via e-Services on the OEM portal. This will help you monitor your energy consumption. If you want to cut down on your energy bill, a smart meter will be a great first step.
With all this new knowledge, begin your switch in the open electricity market by either changing to a smarter metering system or learn about an electricity provider’s range of plans.