LOWER and middle-income Housing Board households will get some help in paying their utility bills next month.

The Finance Ministry said on Monday that that more than 780,000 HDB households will receive $60 million in utility rebates in July.

This is part of the $4 billion GST offset package announced in 2007 to help households cope with the GST increase, or goods and services tax, which went up two-percentage points that year.

The July rebate is the second payment this year, six months after the first payout in January.

In total, $125 million worth of Utilities Save, or U-Save, rebates will be given out for this year.

One and two-room households can look forward to $100 worth of rebates which can offset as much as 15 per cent of their annual utility bills.

Four-room owners will get $85 worth of U-Save rebates, or 5 per cent of their annual bill.

These rebates will be used to offset utliity charges directly, and will be reflected in the utility bills of eligible households for July.

These rebates will cost the Goverment about $620 million over five years.

When fully disbursed, HDB households will have received rebates worth from $370 for executive flat owners up to up to $1,130 for a one-room household.