Another scam to absorb Singaporean money
-
It looks as if this Singapore Government is desparate for more cash even before the 2% increase in GST has reached it full year.
Now it seems that despite Temasek having to sell off three power generating companies in its stable of subsidiaries, this Government is planning another scam to get Singaporeans to pay up-front into some Cash Card scheme, and lock up more of Singaporean's savings into individual cash card that will allow the Cash Card operator the use of the fund first, before these are digitally accounted into the various folders from user to service provider.
Billions will be locked up in Cash Cards used for the proposed new Electricity Usage Payment Scam, much like the amount of money that is kept in the Cash Cards in our ERP devices.
It is totally ingenious to compare this new scam with the existing services provided by different mobile phone operators - as even the pre-paid phone cards will have already money being paid to the various Telcos before the user will actually spend the amount for the calls made.Artile extracted from Channel News Asia
New pilot system may result in cheaper electricity for consumers
By Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 18 October 2007 2148 hrs
SINGAPORE: The way you pay your electricity bills will soon be very much like topping up a pre-paid card.
This is possible under a S$3 million pilot scheme that allows small consumers such as households to switch between electricity retailers.
In fact, consumers will only pay for electricity as and when they need it.
Over the next 2 years, the market regulator will be piloting this new system, known as the Electricity Vending System (EVS), that aims at opening up competition in the market for households and small businesses.
Under the EVS, which has not been tried anywhere else in the world, small consumers are free to choose the various service packages offered by different retailers.
There is no monthly bill. Instead, consumers top up credits on a pre-paid card.
This is unlike the current scheme, in which consumers buy electricity from only one service provider - SP Services - where consumers get a bill each month and pay for how much they have used.
There are about 1.2 million small consumers in Singapore, most of them households. They account for a quarter of the total electricity demand here.
The rest are consumers which use at least 10,000 kilowatts each month. The market for these bigger consumers has been liberalised since 2003.
"Under the new vending system, there should be more choices for consumers - from whom they want to buy electricity, ... to how much energy they want to use a day," explained Khoo Chin Hean, chief executive of Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA).
"And if they prefer to stick to the current system of buying electricity from SP Services and paying a monthly bill, that's also an option too."
EMA added that the new system will also reduce the hassle and administrative costs of applying and paying for electricity.
EMA said initial trials will involve technical tests that include placing a Smart Meter outside the home, to track the amount of electricity used at different times of the day. The meter will also tell consumers how much credit they are left with.
EMA will test the Smart Meter on 200 households and small businesses starting next month.
Some consumers are already looking forward to the scheme, saying that it will give them more options. "Just like mobile phone, if they can give me a better price, then I will opt for the better provider," said a consumer.
"Actually it will be more useful for the household, because I think it will make the occupants more aware or more conscious of the use of electricity."
Meanwhile, other consumers are weary of the new system. "I think that it's even more hassle, more trouble," said another consumer. "I have to check how much I have left, in order not to be cut off from the electricity."
This raises another concern - what happens if credit runs out and consumers are caught unaware?
"We are also looking into various payment schemes to enable them to pay and to restore the electricity in a very short time," assured Khoo. "For example, we are also considering the possibility that one can use one's handphone to buy electricity."
EMA added that it will look into a system that will give consumers ample warning before credit runs out.
There are currently five electricity vendors in Singapore - Keppel Electricity, SembCorp Power, Tuas Power, Senoko Energy and PowerSeraya.
No details are immediately available on how these retailers will package their services, but the regulator said that it will ensure competition is not undermined.
"EMA does not regulate the packages that retailers put out, for a simple reason - this is something best left to retailers, and this also creates room for them to innovate," explained Khoo.
However, EMA will keep an eye on the retailers and see that there are no practices in the industry which undermines competition, Khoo added.
- CNA/yb -
Alot like our present MRT and ERP system, where we put money into our cashcards not yielding any returns. Say $10 for 4 million population of Singapore would result in $40 million retained in the cashcard system.
The P4P government are good suckers, experts at fellatio. -
they suck your money even before you are born. those born earlier take 10 years to pay for public housing, those born later (money sucked before they are born) take what is it now? 30 years?
-
SG, right from the start, was never a country in the first place.
-
Singapore is like somebody's personal fiefdom, time we take back our country
everybody say together now:"Time we take back our beloved country"
-
A rogue is always a rogue. What to do?
-
-
you all must agree that they have a way in " sucking our money " ...
-
See why the elites are treated better now
really know how to suck money from us commoners.
pre-paid, can't really monitor our usage. and if you don't pay in time, just cut off your electricity. -
Cheaper bills my big fat ass.
Nothing will get cheaper in this country where only money counts.
Another pathetic attempt by our propagandistic, wholly-state-controlled media to justify these 'ingenious' ways to suck the peasants' hard earned money. -
Must be the result of too many unpaid SP bills.
-
But you all cannot deny that the 'elitists' are smart enough to con most of the ordinary Singaporeans with their schemes.
-
Dear SP users,
Please take some of your time and write to the local newspapers' forums expressing your satisfaction with the current system of bill payment.
Kindly state your stand that you do not wish to see any changes in the billing system.
Thank you for your time in considering this suggestion. -
Originally posted by Spartans:But you all cannot deny that the 'elitists' are smart enough to con most of the ordinary Singaporeans with their schemes.
Singaporeans are indeed getting smarter and smarter... and refuse to accept propaganda at face value... this can only result in better living for all...Originally posted by Sagara:Cheaper bills my big fat ass.
Nothing will get cheaper in this country where only money counts.
Another pathetic attempt by our propagandistic, wholly-state-controlled media to justify these 'ingenious' ways to suck the peasants' hard earned money. -
......
I am rather in favour of the new scheme where u pre paid the value
But only if the "cheaper" is real.
Like. For example. If we purchase $100 worth of "credit", bonus $20 or something liddat.
And dont make us foot the bill for installation of devices.
And dont make us pay for the "pre paid card"
Thanks. -
Please lah, they will just raise it by $50 and then give you a "discount" of $20 or something like that.Originally posted by Ferret:......
I am rather in favour of the new scheme where u pre paid the value
But only if the "cheaper" is real.
Like. For example. If we purchase $100 worth of "credit", bonus $20 or something liddat.
And dont make us foot the bill for installation of devices.
And dont make us pay for the "pre paid card"
Thanks.
This is how HDB does it... It is not like we have never seen it before... -
I am not in favour of accusationOriginally posted by AndrewPKYap:Please lah, they will just raise it by $50 and then give you a "discount" of $20 or something like that.
This is how HDB does it... It is not like we have never seen it before...
Since they have not done it "yet", let's not go there, ok ?
Besides, one of the other "advantage" of having a pre paid scheme is where everyone WILL monitor their usage and be "hopefully" more environment conscious. -
ok "be "hopefully" more environment conscious." is a worthy thought, but frankly, I will not trust them until they provide evidence why they should be trusted.Originally posted by Ferret:I am not in favour of accusation
Since they have not done it "yet", let's not go there, ok ?
Besides, one of the other "advantage" of having a pre paid scheme is where everyone WILL monitor their usage and be "hopefully" more environment conscious.
It is like, the guy is a thief and I will not trust him unless he shows my what steps he has taken and considered to ensure that my money will not be stolen by him -
And let's not forget immediate advantages.Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:ok "be "hopefully" more environment conscious." is a worthy thought, but frankly, I will not trust them until they provide evidence what they should be trusted.
It is like, the guy is a thief and I will not trust him unless he shows my what steps he has taken and considered to ensure that my money will not be stolen by him
No more printing of paper bills.
No more late payment charges.
Why I am in favour is this, since we are gonna be paying for our electricity anyway, earlier or later makes little difference.
But like what has been brought up, paying up earlier in the form of "credits" is a huge bonus to those collecting the $$$.
Which is why I expected to see lower costs for everyone in general.
And the only reason why I am in favour of the scheme. -
but it might be worse. like the erp thingy. you suay suay not enough credits and use over you will get fined many times the amount( they call it admin charges but a fines a fine).Originally posted by Ferret:And let's not forget immediate advantages.
No more printing of paper bills.
No more late payment charges.
Why I am in favour is this, since we are gonna be paying for our electricity anyway, earlier or later makes little difference.
But like what has been brought up, paying up earlier in the form of "credits" is a huge bonus to those collecting the $$$.
Which is why I expected to see lower costs for everyone in general.
And the only reason why I am in favour of the scheme.
or worse, you forgot to top up or over use then in the middle of the night, the power is cut and the fridge and all the food and whatever spoils. or if you have some ellectronic only gate/door
-
Remember NKF, kidney patients get what? 1% or 10% of the donations?Originally posted by Ferret:And let's not forget immediate advantages.
No more printing of paper bills.
No more late payment charges.
Why I am in favour is this, since we are gonna be paying for our electricity anyway, earlier or later makes little difference.
But like what has been brought up, paying up earlier in the form of "credits" is a huge bonus to those collecting the $$$.
Which is why I expected to see lower costs for everyone in general.
And the only reason why I am in favour of the scheme.
It is a good idea if trust-worthy people propose it. Otherwise, it is just as the topic title suggested.
Remember how the experts predicted that the end of paper usage when digitizing came about and what happened? Paper usage increase by leaps and bounds because people printed a copy "just in case". -
ultimately, its UR responsibility to MAKE SURE that there are enough creditsOriginally posted by hisoka:but it might be worse. like the erp thingy. you suay suay not enough credits and use over you will get fined many times the amount( they call it admin charges but a fines a fine).
or worse, you forgot to top up or over use then in the middle of the night, the power is cut and the fridge and all the food and whatever spoils. or if you have some ellectronic only gate/door 
-
Why not we judge this on a case by case basis instead ?Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:Remember NKF, kidney patients get what? 1% or 10% of the donations?
It is a good idea if trust-worthy people propose it. Otherwise, it is just as the topic title suggested.
Remember how the experts predicted that the end of paper usage when digitizing came about and what happened? Paper usage increase by leaps and bounds because people printed a copy "just in case".
And in this case, why not just focus on this upcoming pre paid scheme, instead of dragging past errors into the picture ? -
Because I have to decide whether to trust them first and see or distrust them first and see... to do that I have to look at past cases...Originally posted by Ferret:Why not we judge this on a case by case basis instead ?
And in this case, why not just focus on this upcoming pre paid scheme, instead of dragging past errors into the picture ? -
ultimately is they are putting in the system that will give pple more penalties than the present systemOriginally posted by Ferret:ultimately, its UR responsibility to MAKE SURE that there are enough credits