Help for Home Owners to Assess if Their Homes Meet Requirement for Residual Current Circuit Breaker

The following question stood in the name of Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling –

2 To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry regarding the requirement for all homes to have residual current circuit breaker (RCCB) by July 2025 (a) what assistance will the Government provide to home owners who are unable to assess if their circuit breakers satisfy the requirements; and (b) whether a subsidy will be made available for seniors or low-income families to install RCCBs at an affordable cost.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Question No 2.

The Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Low Yen Ling) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry): Mr Deputy Speaker, the residual current circuit breaker (RCCB) is an electrical safety device that cuts off electricity supply immediately upon the detection of any leak, to guard against the risk of electric shock.

Since July 1985, all new homes are required to have RCCBs installed. For residential premises built before 1985, most would have undergone renovations and have had an RCCB installed. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has notified all residents living in 1-room and 2-room flats built before July 1985 of this requirement and will be progressively notifying residents living in 3-room and larger flats built before July 1985.

The Energy Market Authority (EMA) has separately also notified all private property home owners of this requirement. In their communications, both agencies have informed home owners how to assess if their RCCBs are in good working condition. In addition, the helpline numbers for home owners to call for assistance are included in their notification.

For those living in 1-room and 2-room flats built before July 1985, HDB has conducted door-to-door inspections and also completed RCCB installations for inspected units without an RCCB. For the minority of residents who did not respond to the earlier round of inspections, HDB will arrange for follow-up inspections and RCCB installations. HDB will also work with grassroots leaders to provide further assistance to elderly residents on this matter when needed.

Under HDB’s RCCB Installation Assistance Programme, the Government will fully subsidise the cost of RCCB installations for those living in 1-room and 2-room HDB flats built before July 1985. For those living in 3-room or larger flats that were built before July 1985, the Government will subsidise up to 95% of the cost of RCCB installations.

We encourage all home owners to ensure that their homes are equipped with an RCCB and that their circuit breakers are in good working condition. Home owners who require further assistance can reach out to EMA or HDB for help.

Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Deputy Speaker, I am also asking on behalf of hon Member Miss Cheryl Chan who is not here. We have two supplementary questions. First, how will EMA and HDB ensure that home owners of older residences before 1985 know of this exercise and what should they do? Some of them received the letter but some may not be able to understand, especially some of the seniors. They may not be able to understand what it is all about because it is a bit technical.

The second supplementary question is, can the Minister of State elaborate on the cost associated for 3-room and larger HDB flats? The Minister of State's reply alluded to there being subsidies for those in 3-room and smaller flats. But for 3-room and larger flats, what are the home owners expected to pay as they will not be fully subsidised?

Ms Low Yen Ling: Mr Deputy Speaker, I want to thank the Member Mr Saktiandi Supaat for asking the supplementary questions, for himself and also on behalf of Miss Cheryl Chan.

I want to assure him and Members that EMA and HDB have launched concerted public education efforts to reach out to the residents staying in 1-room, 2-room, 3-room and bigger flats built before July 1985 to advise them about the RCCB requirement and also how to check if their RCCBs are working, and if they need any support or assistance to facilitate the installation of RCCB by home owners.

Let me give a sensing of the numbers. I think I have made it quite clear in my answer and I want to assure Members that, after July 1985, all new homes would have had RCCBs installed on their premises, as required by EMA. This means, majority of homes in Singapore fulfil the requirement of having a RCCB. So, this exercise, as Mr Saktiandi Supaat had said, reaches out to the residents of pre-1985-built homes and some of them may not have any RCCB.

What is the sizing? We have worked with HDB, and we understand that there are a total of 382,000 flats that were built before July 1985. Since May last year, they have been knocking on doors for these flats built before July 1985, per my sharing in the earlier answer to the Parliamentary Question. Just sharing the numbers for the 2-room flats built before July 1985 – there are about 6,000-plus flats. Out of these, HDB managed to visit more than 4,400 – so about 74%.

Out of the 4,400, only 95, or 2%, did not have RCCB installed. HDB then facilitated the installation of RCCB.

I want to assure the Member that EMA and HDB will be mounting a concerted public education effort, including sending the official letter in four languages – English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil – to these flats to reach out to them. In the letter, the helpline numbers are provided. If you would allow me, Mr Deputy Speaker, for example, for HDB dwellers, they can call the HDB branch service line at 1800 225 5432 for help. In addition, they can also call EMA's contact centre at 6835 8000. I hope I have reassured the Member.

He also asked about the cost for the bigger flats. The cost of installation of a RCCB in the flat typically is about $500. We want to ensure the safety of the pre-1985 homes with this new requirement and we are mindful of the cost of the installation to protect the home owners.

Which is why, earlier on, I mentioned that the cost of the RCCB installation for households from 1-room and 2-room flats will be fully paid for by the Government. Under the HDB RCCB Installation Assistance Programme, the Government is providing substantial subsidies up to 95% for households of bigger HDB flats.

He asked for some numbers – let me quote from the letter. Those staying in 3-room flats will only need to pay 5% of the cost, which is about $25. Those staying in 4-room flats will pay 7.5%, which is about $37.50. Residents of 5-room and executive flats will pay between $50 and $62.50. Having said that, families who are facing difficult circumstances will receive help from HDB, EMA and from the grassroots leaders. I hope I have given him the reassurance.

Mr Deputy Speaker: Mr Melvin Yong.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas): Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister of State. You mentioned that HDB reached out door-to-door and that they did not manage to meet 26% of the households that they did not manage to meet. Will HDB be open to conducting another round of door-to-door engagements?

I say this because, in Radin Mas, I have quite a number of blocks that were built before 1985 and during my house visits, I still come across residents, especially the elderly, those staying alone, who ask our volunteers what this letter from HDB and EMA entails and what actions are required. So, I do hope that HDB can conduct another round to reach out to those whom they did not manage to meet in the first round.

Ms Low Yen Ling: Mr Deputy Speaker, I want to thank Mr Melvin Yong for the supplementary question. I want to reassure him that this is mission critical for HDB and EMA. We want to make sure that every home in Singapore has an RCCB because it is a very important electrical safety device. For the number of HDB flats that were built before July 1985 that did not respond to HDB when they went knocking on the doors, HDB will certainly go back, one on one. We will also rope in the grassroots advisors accordingly and provide them the necessary assistance.

If we identify a particular flat does not have RCCB, we will quickly mobilise and make sure the RCCB is installed quickly.