Today one of Singapore's leading telcos, StarHub and Singapore-based sustainable energy
firm, Sunseap, revealed
a partnership to enter Singapore’s Open Electricity Market which is
being launched in April. This partnership will enable households to adopt solar
power without the hassle of owning or installing solar panels.
Sunseap Group is the largest clean energy solutions provider
in Singapore, and it harvests solar energy from rooftop solar systems across
more than 1,000 buildings in Singapore, including public housing estates, as
well as commercial and industrial buildings, which convert sunlight into solar
energy.
Last year, the Energy Market Authority (EMA) of Singapore announced
the soft launch of the Open Electricity Market in Jurong to provide consumers
with more choices and flexibility in their electricity purchases. This will culminate
in the full liberalisation of the retail electricity market in the second half
of 2018, extending the choice of electricity retailer to consumers in the rest
of Singapore.
Consumers will be free to choose their desired electricity
retailers according to their usage patterns and the prices offered. Switching
electricity retailers is expected to be seamless in the open market.
As part of this joint operation, StarHub and Sunseap are
collaborating on a range of activities, including customer service, billing and
sales, to ensure a hassle-free experience for households. The two companies are
also exploring opportunities in smart energy and Internet of Things (IoT)
solutions to bring continued benefits to customers.
To promote clean energy use, 5% of StarHub’s profits out of
this business in the first three years will be channelled into the StarHub
Clean Energy Fund. The fund will be used to drive environmental
conservation initiatives including clean energy and efficiencies.
Starting next month, StarHub and Sunseap will offer
customers a choice of two clean energy subscription plans named Green
Life and Green Save.
The first plan named Green Life is a 100%
clean energy plan tailored to meet the needs of environmentally conscious
customers. Customers on the Green Life plan will receive
electricity fully produced by Sunseap’s solar systems at no additional cost.
Electricity will be charged at the usual regulated electricity tariff.
The second plan, Green Save, allows
customers to take a step towards becoming more environment-friendly while
enjoying some savings. With this plan, customers will receive 5% clean energy
and enjoy 20% discount off the regulated tariff.
“Working together with Sunseap, we are excited to offer
households a compelling way to live a lower carbon footprint lifestyle using
the Sun’s energy. Leveraging each other’s expertise, we will bundle essential
services from mobile, pay TV, broadband and electricity in attractive packages
for customers, who are becoming more environmentally-aware;” said Mr Howie Lau,
Chief Marketing Officer, StarHub. “Clean energy has been gaining ground in
Singapore and we hope to further energise this green movement with the launch
of our StarHub Clean Energy Fund.”
Mr Frank Phuan, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer,
Sunseap Group, said: “We are pleased to be in a joint operation with StarHub to
help residents in Singapore go green. This will make it easy for both existing
and potential StarHub customers to switch to solar energy without any break in
their regular electricity service. As the leading sustainable energy provider
in Singapore, Sunseap is committed to helping consumers do their part to lower
global warming emissions, which we believe is one of the most urgent challenges
of the 21st century.”