A total of 100 lower-income households in MacPherson will pay only half of their electricity bills for one year, with the other half to be covered by licensed energy retailer Sunseap Energy.

The local firm, which is a subsidiary of solar energy solutions provider Sunseap Group, will also provide these homes with solar energy, as part of a social initiative to provide clean and affordable energy to households.

In a Facebook Live session with MacPherson incumbent MP Tin Pei Ling yesterday, Sunseap Group chief executive Frank Phuan said the cost of solar energy has become lower than traditional sources of energy.

"This is the first step towards sustainability; not just clean and green, but more affordable energy for the masses," said Mr Phuan.

He hopes this move will start the ball rolling for other companies to also provide solar energy to homes.

The scheme, the brainchild of Sunseap Group and Ms Tin, will be introduced later this year and residents will not need to pay for installation charges.

The People's Action Party MacPherson branch said it intends to work with Sunseap Group and other like-minded local companies to test and implement smart solutions within the estate.

Ms Tin, 36, said the initiative came about as residents seeking help with their utility bills have been a regular occurrence at Meet-The-People Sessions.

One MacPherson resident hoping to benefit from the scheme is 44-year-old Fadillah Leman, a babysitter who lives in Block 52 Circuit Road.

She said: "We have outstanding utilities bills so any help will be good. Hopefully, they (will) choose the 100 households carefully."

Residents can also look forward to dialogues and workshops later this year, where PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians) and job seekers can get advice from career counsellors.

Children from lower-income families also stand to benefit from a Coding For Children programme.

Ms Tin is defending the MacPherson single seat against opposition veteran Goh Meng Seng, 50, secretary-general of the People's Power Party.

Speaking to the media about the latest initiatives, Mr Goh said: "Any project that comes to the estate is always good. However, with limited resources, we must prioritise the essentials."

He listed covered walkways, a community hospital and revamping of flats in the estate as some of these essentials.

"Maybe (Ms Tin) thinks that the infrastructure of the whole estate is properly done, but I tend to disagree," he added.