Figure 2. Oil Consumption in Singapore (National Environmental Agency, 2014)c
As seen from the pie-chart of Singapore’s oil consumption (above), roughly half is used for energy generation, and the other half is used for transportation and industries. The percentage of energy consumed by buildings and households add up to only 1.5% of total fuel consumption.
Figure 3. Electricity Consumption in Singapore (National Environmental Agency, 2014)c
However, the consumption of electricity presents a different picture. Electricity in Singapore is mostly generated using natural gas, and Singapore is trying to move towards supplying electricity using only natural gas. Households consume about one-fifth of the electricity in Singapore. Also, it has been recently reported that households have increased their demand for energy consumption, resulting in mass upgrades by the Housing Development Board (HDB), so as to lessen the occurrence of power trips in older flats (Seow, 2014).
Evidently, the transportation sector and more importantly, the industrial sector, must be targeted in order to substantially reduce the amount of environmental impact Singapore exerts on its environment. However, individual effort should not be discounted. Buildings and households together contribute to almost half of the electricity consumed in Singapore. As such, to effectively reduce the consumption of electricity, actions performed by each individual should not be overlooked.
Figure 4. Electricity consumption across all households in Singapore (National Environmental Agency, 2013)
By understanding the electrical consumption of commonly used electronical products, electricity-intensive products can be singled out, and individuals can be better informed to restrict their use of such products. The pie-chart above shows the general breakdown of electricity consumed by electronical products in households. Across all housing types, it was found that air-conditioners, water heaters, and refrigerators contribute to more than 75% of the electricity consumed (National Environmental Agency, 2013). This indicates that these three electricity-intensive products could be made more energy efficient, and that individuals should try to refrain from using these products over an extended period of time, if possible.