PUB METER-READING

Mr Hwang Soo Jin asked the Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister for Health whether he will direct the Public Utilities Board to ensure that (a) meter-reading is carried out at least once in two months; and (b) if estimated figures are used for billing, such figures are realistic as violent fluctuation in the amount payable from month to month can pose serious financial difficulties to those in the lower-income bracket.

Mr Goh Chok Tong: Mr Speaker, Sir, I can assure the hon. Member for Jalan Kayu that currently, as a standard procedure, PUB meters are read once every two months. However, every month about 22,500 meters (or 3.4% of the total number of meters to be read) cannot be read because there is no one at home. In such cases, the meter reader will leave a card for the consumer to make his own reading and post the card back to the PUB. Only about one-third of these consumers return the cards. Therefore, the remaining meters (or about 2.3% of meters to be read) have to be billed on estimates for two months.

When the meters are not read, consumers are billed on estimates based on the average of the most recent two months of consumption according to actual meter-readings. These are, therefore, realistic estimates. And this is so for the majority whose consumption level is fairly stable. Any fluctuation in their monthly bills is, therefore, marginal. There are, however, some consumers whose consumption levels fluctuate erratically. In these cases, estimates can turn out to be quite different from subsequent meter-readings. Their monthly bills will, therefore, fluctuate. There is no way in which realistic estimates can be made for those whose consumption levels fluctuate violently and unpredictably.