Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on arrears security deposits

Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on arrears security deposits by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment

Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what percentage of (i) non-Singaporean and (ii) non-permanent resident customers have arrears in their utility bills that are larger than their security deposit amount; (b) what measures are taken to recover these arrears; and (c) whether there is any need to increase the security deposit amount for such customers.

Answer:

1 As at 31 December 2023, 2,800 (or 1.6%) of non-resident households had utility bills in arrears of six months or more that were in excess of their security deposit.

2 Measures taken to recover utility bills arrears include sending SMS reminders, issuing formal notices, imposing late payment charges, and disconnecting and restricting services where significant arrears have been accumulated.

3 The security deposit for non-resident households is generally twice that of resident households and are periodically reviewed by utility service providers, PUB, and EMA, to mitigate the risk of unrecovered arrears.

Note: Figures stated above are rounded off to the nearest hundred. The information provided excludes households on electricity retailers that do not appoint SP Group as their billing agent, as these retailers do not collect data that allows differentiation between resident and non-resident households.]