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SP Group to introduce ‘carbon footprint tracker’ on app for all electricity customers

SINGAPORE — All Singapore households and businesses will soon be able to track their carbon footprint based on the electricity they consume and their lifestyle, by using a new feature on the SP Utilities mobile application.

Anyone with an SP utilities account can download the app and use the carbon footprint tracker, once it becomes available, regardless of their electricity retail provider or meter type.

Anyone with an SP utilities account can download the app and use the carbon footprint tracker, once it becomes available, regardless of their electricity retail provider or meter type.

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SINGAPORE — All Singapore households and businesses will soon be able to track their carbon footprint based on the electricity they consume and their lifestyle, by using a new feature on the SP Utilities mobile application.

Mr Wong Kim Yin, group chief executive officer of utilities provider SP Group, said in a media release on Thursday (Oct 24) that he hopes the app, to be available in December, will allow consumers to become more conscious of how their actions affect the environment.

“Armed with this knowledge, they can take action to improve their habits towards a higher quality, sustainable lifestyle,” he said.

TODAY sought the views of several people on this new app. While most said that it was an interesting feature, they were not certain that it would be enough to promote major lifestyle changes.

Called the “carbon footprint tracker”, the app will enable all 1.6 million consumers in Singapore households to track their carbon footprint based on their power consumption and lifestyle.

Using simulation tools, they will be able to calculate their emissions based on daily activities such as the mode of transport they use, air travel, consumption habits, buying habits and energy use.

The feature will also allow them to engage in healthy competition with other household members, neighbours and friends to achieve their green targets, SP Group said.

Family members living in the same home, who share an SP utilities account, may individually download the app on their phones.

The feature was designed to “create awareness, provide tools to take action, and effect changes that will reduce carbon emission”, SP Group said, adding that more features will be progressively added in the first half of next year.

The present version of the SP Utilities app can be used to track and pay bills, manage users’ utilities consumption and compare offerings among different retailers.

Two persons who are using the SP Utilities app now said that they would try out the carbon footprint tracker when it is available, but they both doubted that it would really drive lifestyle changes.

Ms Rebecca Teo, 33, who has been using the app for around four years, said: “It's only a small part of my life. I use the app primarily for paying bills but otherwise, I don’t spend much time on it.”

Ms Amelia Teo, 33, a credit analyst, who has been using the app for over a year, said: “It is a feature that is nice to have, and something I already see in other apps in the market. But I don’t see it as a game-changer.”

She added that it may not be effective for those who are not environmentally conscious.

Others who have yet to download the SP Utilities app were split on their views.

Mr Didier Josal, 22, a student, believes that the app will allow people who are already environmentally conscious to take further action in reducing their carbon footprint.

“It’ll provide them with a better tool to keep track of how much electricity, for example, they are using. And maybe, it will make even more people become interested in the cause, after seeing how easy it is to track their carbon emissions,” he said.

However, Mr Lim Weilin, 22, an undergraduate, is not too optimistic: "People will try to change and reduce their carbon footprint in smaller areas such as by using less plastic. But for larger lifestyle changes, people will not tend to change because it requires much more effort.”

Anyone with an SP utilities account can download the app and use the carbon footprint tracker, once it becomes available, regardless of their electricity retail provider or meter type.

Related topics

SP Group utility carbon emissions app lifestyle environment electricity

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