Electricity tariffs are set to rise by an average of 6.9 per cent in the third quarter.

From July 1 to Sept 30, electricity tariffs will increase by an average of 1.5 cents per kilowatt hour (kwh) compared with the previous quarter. The increase is mainly due to the higher cost of natural gas for electricity generation, SP Group said in a statement yesterday.

For households, the tariff will increase from 22.15 cents to 23.65 cents per kwh. This means the average monthly bill for a family living in a four-room Housing Board flat will go up by $5.61.

This will be the third consecutive quarter that electricity tariffs have risen. From October to December last year, the tariff was at 20.3 cents per kwh. It rose to 21.56 cents per kwh from January to March this year, before going up to 22.15 cents per kwh from April to June.

SP Group said it reviews tariffs quarterly based on guidelines set by the Energy Market Authority, and that the tariffs have been approved by the industry regulator.

Ng Huiwen