The Green Plan: Businesses to receive grants to improve energy efficiency

Whether the month of April has been good or bad to you, it has certainly brought its fair share of good news for many Singaporeans. Just a few days ago on 22 April 2022, the Ministry of Health (MOH) released exciting updates on further easing of community and border measures.

Most venues will no longer require the public to check in using the TraceTogether (TT) application or token. Moreover, there will no longer be a group size limit, and it’s no longer mandatory for individuals to keep to a group of 10 persons for mask-off activities.

More funding to aid companies with energy-efficient technologies

As for manufacturing firms and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), from 1 April, they can receive more funding aid under an existing scheme to buy and adopt energy-efficient technologies. To expand on this, the grant cap for the energy-efficient technologies component of the Energy Efficient Fund (E2F) has been raised to 70% from 50%, to help such firms reduce their emissions and cut their utility bills.

For those wondering, such technologies include high-efficient air-conditioning systems, LED lighting, boilers, and air compressors. The National Environment Agency (NEA) launched the E25 Fund in 2017 to help companies in the industrial sector and SMEs improve their energy efficiency. Of course, to prevent misuse of the funds, the energy-efficient equipment or technologies must have a proven track record of energy savings in an industrial facility and must result in factual and measurable energy savings.

In her speech during the parliament update, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu urged companies to take advantage of the enhanced funding support early.

Increased demand for clean energy technologies and electric commercial vehicles

As more and more businesses transit to utilising clean energy technologies, there has been an increased demand for the production and sales of electric commercial vehicles (ECVs). To support local efforts to make a real impact on sustainability and create greener delivery services, more automakers have constructed various makes and models.

To spur efforts in going green, the Singapore government has rolled out several rebates, namely the ‘Early Adopter Rebate’ (2022 to 2023)’ and Vehicle Emissions Scheme.

From January 2022 to December 2023, the Additional Registration Fee (ARF) for electric cars will be reduced from the current minimum requirement of S$5,000 to S$0! As for Vehicle Emissions Scheme, there will be attractive rebates of S$15,000* or S$25,000*, depending on the vehicle make and model.

Save time and cost when making the switch to green

A major perk of getting an electric vehicle is the savings on energy costs. Here’s an example on the calculation and costs you can actually save:

• Average petrol price per litre: $2.68 (February 2022 – source)
• Average annual mileage: 17,500km (2018 – source)
• Energy tariff rate: 27.22 cents/kWh (Jan – March 2022 – source)

Moreover, you can save up on maintenance costs. Electric vehicles run on clean energy as compared to traditional cars that require petrol fuel. You can also expect less wear and tear, and you don’t require as many monthly trips to the workshops.

Thinking of making the switch to green driving today? We are here to help you make smarter choices. Book an appointment with us today to learn more about DFSK EC35 or other commercial electric vehicles. Drop us a message or make an appointment here today.