전기 요금 2009년 1월부터 25% 인하, 추가 인하 예상
작년 2분기부터 계속해서 올랐던 전기 요금이 다음달부터 25% 인하됩니다.
25%의 높은 인하폭은 4분기 전기 요금이 21% 인상 된 이후 발생한 국제 유가의 하락분을 반영한 것입니다.
어제 정부 발표의 내용을 보면 더욱 좋은 소식은 석유 가격이 현재 수준을 유지할 경우 내년 2분기에 전기 요금이 더 인하될 가능성이 높다는 것입니다.
싱가폴의 전기 요금은 생산 원가의 50~60%를 차지하는 석유의 인도 시기 가격에 의해 결정되기 때문에 통상적으로 인도 시기에 비해 수개월 일찍 거래되는 석유가 싱가폴에 도착하여 인도되는 내년 2분기 전기 요금도 미리 예측이 가능한 것이라고 합니다.
최근 들어 부쩍 많이 부과된 전기 요금으로 놀라셨던 분들뿐 아니라 모두에게 좋은 소식입니다. 하지만 전기 요금이 낮아져도 절약의 고삐를 늦추기는 힘든 시기인 것 같습니다.
Electricity prices to be cut by 25%
They look set to fall further in the second quarter of next year
ELECTRICITY prices for the next three months will fall 25 per cent next month, as oil prices continue to slide. Three-room Housing Board households will see their average monthly power bills fall by about $20, while five-roomers will pay about $34 less. News of the cut, the first decline since April last year in the quarterly-adjusted tariffs, was a welcome respite for businesses grappling with the economic downturn and rising costs. They took a hit when the tariffs for the last quarter of the year went up by 21 per cent – the biggest one-time hike in about seven years. With the latest cut, electricity tariffs will go down from about 30 cents per kilowatt-hour to just under 23 cents.
Yesterday, the Energy Market Authority’s (EMA) chief executive-designate Lawrence Wong had more good news – he expects electricity prices to fall again for the second quarter of next year. ‘Oil prices are coming down some more, and if this continues, electricity prices will continue to decline.’ Following sharp public criticism over how electricity prices went up in October even as oil prices fell, EMA has started a review of the pricing formula. Fuel oil prices account for 50 to 60 per cent of the tariff. The cost of power generation, delivery and other fees make up the rest. Under the current formula, electricity tariffs are pegged to fuel oil prices which are reviewed every three months. Because of the time lag, tariffs can still climb when oil prices are coming down, which is what happened this quarter. Said Mr Wong: ‘We will have to see if we want to adopt a formula that is more reflective of the prevailing energy market.’
But this may mean more frequent ups and downs in electricity prices every month and this volatility may deter investment in Singapore’s power system, he said.
For now, it also does not look like any change in the pricing system is likely to see electricity tariffs pegged to the price of natural gas, even though 80 per cent of Singapore’s electricity is powered by natural gas from Indonesia and Malaysia.
Said Mr Wong: ‘Pegging electricity prices to natural gas in Asia may have to wait for the Asian markets to mature, which will not happen soon.’ Initial findings of the review are expected in the middle of next year.
He added: ‘The reality is that we will have no control of global oil movement in the energy market and no matter how we fine-tune the tariff formula, I don’t think we will completely shield or insulate households from price volatility movement.’ Energy conservation remains the best strategy for private school lecturer, Mrs Sally Chew, 47.
The power bill for her family of five, who live in a five-room HDB flat, hit a high of about $250 last month.
Although it will go down in the New Year with lower tariffs, she said: ‘But I will still tell my two children to continue saving electricity, switching off the lights when they leave the room, and not to use the air-conditioner too much. ‘It is still costly, and prices will go up and down with oil prices, so it’s best to just save electricity.’
[출처: The Straits Times]