SINGAPORE - About 880,000 Singaporean HDB households will receive the next instalment of the GST Voucher - Utilities-Save (U-Save) rebate this month, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced on Monday (April 3).

Eligible households will receive up to $65, depending on their HDB flat type.

For instance, those staying in one- and two-room flats get the maximum amount, while families living in a five-room flat will receive $50.

The rebate is one of three components under the permanent GST Voucher scheme, which helps households offset part of their utilities bills and lower overall household expenses.

It is distributed every quarter and is estimated to cost $190 million each year.

Annually, the rebate enables households in one- and two-room flats to receive support which is equivalent to about three to four months of their utilities bills on average.

The U-Save rebate will see a permanent increase of $40 to $120 annually from July this year, after Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced in February's Budget that the move will help households offset some of the increase in water prices.

This means that families in one- and two-room flats will receive $380 each year, up from the current $260.

For more information, the public can call SP Services on 6671 7117 or e-mail customersupport@spgroup.com.sg. They can also visit www.gstvoucher.gov.sg to learn more.