Singapore Open Electricity Market Comparison Calculator 2026 — Compare Your Real Bill Under the SP Group Regulated Tariff Against Fixed-Price, Discount-Off-Tariff, and Peak/Off-Peak OEM Retailer Plans Using Your Own Monthly kWh, Net Off Your U-Save Rebate, Model the Day and Night Usage Split, and Get an Honest Verdict on Whether Switching Retailer Is Actually Worth It

THE OPEN ELECTRICITY MARKET (OEM) IS A GOVERNMENT-LED INITIATIVE THAT LETS SINGAPORE HOUSEHOLDS BUY ELECTRICITY FROM A LICENSED RETAILER OF THEIR CHOICE INSTEAD OF PAYING ONLY THE SP GROUP REGULATED TARIFF. HOW IT WORKS: Before the OEM, every household bought electricity from SP Group at the regulated tariff set quarterly by the Energy Market Authority (EMA). The OEM opened the retail market to competition — today around 10 licensed retailers (such as Geneco, Senoko Energy, Keppel Electric, Tuas Power, PacificLight, and Sembcorp Power) compete to sell you electricity, often at rates below the regulated tariff. THE CRUCIAL POINT: Your actual electricity supply does not change at all. SP Group still owns and operates the national power grid, still delivers electricity to your home through the same wires and meter, and still guarantees the same reliability. Switching a retailer only changes WHO BILLS YOU and at WHAT RATE — not the power itself. If there is ever a blackout, it is a grid issue that SP Group fixes regardless of your retailer. WHY IT EXISTS: The OEM was introduced to give households choice and to use competition to drive better pricing and value. Instead of a single regulated price, you can now pick a plan that suits your usage habits and risk appetite. IS IT COMPULSORY: No. Switching is entirely optional, there is no deadline, and you can stay on the SP regulated tariff indefinitely if you prefer. You can also switch back to SP at the end of any retailer contract. THE CURRENT REALITY: About 63% of households are still on the SP default tariff — many simply have not compared, even though a retailer can often beat the tariff. THE PRACTICAL POINT: This calculator compares your bill under the SP regulated tariff against fixed-price, discount-off-tariff, and peak/off-peak retailer plans, using your own usage, so you can see exactly whether switching saves you money and by how much — neutrally, without any retailer bias.

YOU WILL SAVE MONEY IF YOU LOCK A RETAILER RATE BELOW THE SP REGULATED TARIFF OF 34.78 CENTS/KWH — BUT THE SIZE OF THE SAVING VARIES ENORMOUSLY, FROM A FEW DOLLARS A MONTH TO OVER FIFTY, DEPENDING ON THE PLAN AND YOUR USAGE. THE HONEST RANGE: When the regulated tariff is high, as it is in Q3 2026, retailer fixed plans in the high-20-cent range can undercut it meaningfully. The cheapest short-term plans have been around 27 cents/kWh, while typical 12-, 24-, and 36-month fixed plans sit around 28 to 29 cents. The saving per kWh is the gap between your plan rate and 34.78 cents. THE MATH FOR A TYPICAL HOME: A 4-room flat using 420 kWh a month at the 34.78-cent tariff pays about S$146. A fixed plan at 28.68 cents would cost about S$120 — a saving of roughly S$26/month or S$312/year. A larger home using 1,000 kWh saves proportionally more; a small flat using 200 kWh saves less. THE HONEST CAVEAT: When the tariff is LOWER (as it was in early 2026 at around 29 cents), the gap between retailer plans and the tariff shrinks to almost nothing — some 12-month plans were within a fraction of a cent of the tariff, meaning a saving of only a few dollars a month. As one honest guide put it, on those plans you have simply “swapped kopi stalls”. So the saving depends heavily on WHEN you compare and WHICH plan. THE USAGE FACTOR: Because the saving is per kWh, heavy users save more in absolute terms. A household using 1,000 kWh saves five times what a 200 kWh household saves at the same rate gap. THE PRACTICAL POINT: This calculator computes your exact saving at the rates you enter, and gives an honest verdict — including telling you when staying on SP is cheaper, or when the saving is too small to justify a contract commitment. Enter your usage and the current best retailer rate (from the official comparison site) to see your real number.

OEM RETAILERS OFFER THREE MAIN PLAN TYPES: FIXED-PRICE PLANS, DISCOUNT-OFF-TARIFF (DOT) PLANS, AND PEAK/OFF-PEAK (TIME-OF-USE) PLANS — EACH SUITING A DIFFERENT RISK APPETITE AND USAGE PATTERN. FIXED-PRICE PLANS: You pay the same rate per kWh for the entire contract term (6, 12, 24, or 36 months), regardless of how the regulated tariff moves. ADVANTAGE: certainty — if the tariff rises, you are protected. DISADVANTAGE: if the tariff falls below your fixed rate, you do not benefit until your contract ends. Best for those who want predictable bills and expect tariffs to rise or stay high. DISCOUNT-OFF-TARIFF (DOT) PLANS: You pay a fixed discount off the prevailing regulated tariff — either a flat cents-per-kWh discount (for example, Senoko LifeSteady at 1.64 cents off) or a percentage discount (for example, 5% or 6% off). ADVANTAGE: you are always cheaper than SP by a guaranteed margin. DISADVANTAGE: your bill still moves up and down with the quarterly tariff, just always below it. Note that the SP regulated tariff is effectively a DOT plan with a 0% discount. Best for those who want to always beat SP but are comfortable with quarterly movement. PEAK/OFF-PEAK (TIME-OF-USE, TOU) PLANS: You pay different rates depending on the time of day — a low off-peak rate at night (for example, around 20 cents/kWh from 11pm to 7am) and a higher peak rate during the day (for example, around 37 cents). ADVANTAGE: big savings IF most of your usage is at night. DISADVANTAGE: you pay MORE than the tariff during the day, so it only works for genuinely night-heavy households (e.g. EV charging overnight, night-shift workers). WHOLESALE PLANS: A fourth, riskier option where you pay real-time market prices that change every 30 minutes — only for savvy users comfortable with volatility. THE PRACTICAL POINT: This calculator compares fixed, DOT, and TOU plans against the SP tariff using your usage, and for TOU it splits your usage into day and night portions so you see whether your night-usage share is high enough to make it worthwhile.

A FIXED-PRICE PLAN LOCKS YOUR RATE FOR THE WHOLE CONTRACT REGARDLESS OF THE TARIFF, WHILE A DISCOUNT-OFF-TARIFF (DOT) PLAN ALWAYS SITS A FIXED MARGIN BELOW THE QUARTERLY REGULATED TARIFF — THE CHOICE IS BETWEEN CERTAINTY AND ALWAYS-BEATING-SP. FIXED-PRICE: Your rate (say 28.68 cents/kWh) stays constant for 6 to 36 months. If the regulated tariff jumps to 40 cents next quarter, you still pay 28.68 — you are protected. But if the tariff drops to 26 cents, you are stuck paying 28.68 until your contract ends — you lose out. It is a bet that tariffs will stay high or rise. DISCOUNT-OFF-TARIFF: Your rate is defined RELATIVE to the tariff — for example, 5% off, or a flat 1.64 cents off. If the tariff is 34.78 cents, a 5% DOT plan charges about 33.04 cents; a 1.64-cent DOT plan charges 33.14 cents. When the tariff moves, your rate moves with it, but always stays below SP by the same margin. You will never pay more than SP, but you are not protected from tariff rises the way a fixed plan is. THE KEY TRADE-OFF: (1) IF YOU EXPECT TARIFFS TO RISE: A fixed plan is better — you lock in today lower rate and dodge the increase. This is attractive in 2026 with tariffs elevated. (2) IF YOU EXPECT TARIFFS TO FALL: A DOT plan is better — you always beat SP and benefit as the tariff drops. (3) IF YOU WANT SIMPLICITY: A fixed plan gives a single predictable number every month. THE PERCENTAGE-VS-FLAT NUANCE: Among DOT plans, a percentage discount saves more when the tariff is high (5% of 34.78 is 1.74 cents) while a flat-cent discount is steadier. THE PRACTICAL POINT: This calculator lets you enter both a fixed rate and a DOT percentage and compares both against the SP tariff and each other, so you can see which structure wins at current rates — and the honest verdict flags when the difference is too small to matter.

YES — SWITCHING IS COMPLETELY SAFE AND YOUR POWER IS NEVER DISRUPTED, BECAUSE THE ELECTRICITY ITSELF COMES FROM THE SAME NATIONAL GRID REGARDLESS OF WHICH RETAILER BILLS YOU. WHY IT IS SEAMLESS: Singapore electricity market is unbundled — power generation, grid delivery, and billing are separate functions. SP Group owns and operates the national grid and physically delivers electricity to every home. OEM retailers only handle the billing and pricing. When you switch, the change happens digitally in the Market Support Services (MSS) database managed by SP Group — no technician visits, no wiring changes, no meter swap (for standard meters), and no interruption to your supply. The power flowing through your wires is literally identical before and after. THE RELIABILITY GUARANTEE: Because SP Group maintains the grid for everyone, your reliability is unaffected by your retailer choice. If there is a blackout, it is a grid issue that SP Group resolves — your retailer has nothing to do with supply reliability. RETAILERS ARE LICENSED AND REGULATED: All OEM retailers are licensed by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) and must meet strict regulatory requirements. These are established companies, not fly-by-night operators — this is not like buying from a random online seller. THE 2026 CONSUMER SAFEGUARDS: New safeguards introduced in June 2026 protect residential customers against “silent” auto-renewals, requiring double notification before a contract auto-renews and providing an extended 60-day penalty-free exit window. This makes switching even lower-risk. WHAT ACTUALLY CHANGES: Only your bill — who sends it and the rate you pay. Everything physical stays the same. THE ONE CONSIDERATION: If you are switching FROM an existing retailer contract (rather than from SP), check for early-termination charges before the contract expires. THE PRACTICAL POINT: The safety concern is the single biggest reason households stay on SP unnecessarily. Since supply and reliability are identical, the decision is purely financial — which this calculator helps you make by showing the real cost difference.

YES — YOUR GST VOUCHER U-SAVE REBATE APPLIES REGARDLESS OF WHICH RETAILER YOU CHOOSE, BECAUSE IT IS CREDITED TO YOUR SP SERVICES ACCOUNT, NOT TO THE RETAILER. HOW IT WORKS: U-Save is a government rebate credited quarterly to your household SP Services utilities account to offset electricity, gas, and water costs. Even after you switch to an OEM retailer, SP Group still maintains your utilities account for grid and gas/water services, and the U-Save is credited there — so you keep receiving it in full. Switching retailer does not affect your U-Save eligibility or amount. WHY THIS MATTERS FOR YOUR COMPARISON: Because U-Save applies equally to every plan (SP regulated, fixed, DOT, or TOU), it does not change WHICH plan is cheapest — it reduces every option by the same amount. So when comparing plans, the ranking is determined by the plan rate, and U-Save is a constant discount on top. This calculator nets U-Save off every option equally so you see both the gross and net bill for each. THE ELIGIBILITY UNCHANGED: The same U-Save eligibility rules apply whether or not you switch — Singaporean HDB household, at least one Singapore citizen owner or occupier, and no household member owning more than one property. Private property residents get no U-Save on any plan. THE PRACTICAL IMPLICATION: Do not let worry about “losing U-Save” stop you switching — you keep it either way. The switching decision should be based purely on the plan rate versus the SP tariff. THE COMBINED EFFECT: In 2026, a household can stack the U-Save rebate (which cushions the bill) WITH a cheaper OEM rate (which lowers the rate on every kWh) for maximum savings — the two work together. THE PRACTICAL POINT: This calculator shows your U-Save netted against each plan, and separately shows the plan-rate saving, so you can see both levers clearly. To model your U-Save in detail, use our U-Save Rebate Calculator.

PEAK/OFF-PEAK (TIME-OF-USE, TOU) PLANS ARE ONLY WORTH IT IF A GENUINELY LARGE SHARE OF YOUR ELECTRICITY USE HAPPENS AT NIGHT — FOR MOST HOUSEHOLDS, THE HIGH DAYTIME RATE OUTWEIGHS THE CHEAP NIGHT RATE. HOW TOU WORKS: You pay a low off-peak rate at night (for example, around 20 cents/kWh from 11pm to 7am) and a high peak rate during the day (for example, around 37 cents/kWh from 7am to 11pm). The daytime peak rate is typically HIGHER than the regulated tariff, so you only come out ahead if enough of your usage shifts to the cheap night window. THE BREAK-EVEN LOGIC: Because the day rate is above the tariff and the night rate is well below it, there is a threshold share of night usage above which TOU beats a normal plan. For a plan with a 20-cent night rate and 37-cent day rate versus a 34.78-cent tariff, you typically need well over a third of your usage at night just to break even, and considerably more to save meaningfully. WHO IT SUITS: (1) EV OWNERS who charge their car overnight — a big, shiftable night load. (2) NIGHT-SHIFT WORKERS whose main activity is after dark. (3) HOUSEHOLDS THAT RUN HEAVY APPLIANCES (laundry, dishwasher, water heating) on timers overnight. (4) LANDED HOMES with pool pumps or other loads that can be scheduled for off-peak hours. WHO IT DOES NOT SUIT: Typical families whose peak usage is in the evening (cooking, air-conditioning, TV) between 7pm and 11pm — that falls in the expensive peak window, so TOU would cost MORE than a standard plan. THE SMART-METER REQUIREMENT: TOU plans generally require a smart meter that records when you use electricity. If you have one, you can review your actual day/night split before choosing. THE PRACTICAL POINT: This calculator includes a TOU mode — enter your estimated night-usage percentage and the peak and off-peak rates, and it splits your usage accordingly and compares the TOU bill against the other plans. It will show you honestly whether your night-usage share is high enough for TOU to win, so you do not sign up expecting savings that never materialise.

ON A 24-MONTH FIXED PLAN, YOUR SAVING DEPENDS ENTIRELY ON THE GAP BETWEEN THE PLAN RATE AND THE PREVAILING TARIFF — WHICH RANGES FROM A FEW DOLLARS A MONTH WHEN TARIFFS ARE LOW TO OVER FIFTY WHEN THEY ARE HIGH. THE HONEST PICTURE: 24- and 36-month fixed plans are the ones most households actually sign, because they avoid frequent re-comparison. In 2026 these have been priced around 28.00 to 28.80 cents/kWh. Against the Q3 2026 tariff of 34.78 cents, that is a gap of about 6 cents/kWh — a meaningful saving. But when the tariff was around 29 cents earlier in 2026, the same 28-cent plan saved less than a cent per kWh — only a few dollars a month. THE USAGE MATH: The saving is your usage multiplied by the rate gap. At a 6-cent gap: a 420 kWh home saves about S$25/month (S$300/year); a 1,000 kWh home saves about S$60/month (S$720/year). At a 0.5-cent gap: the same homes save about S$2 and S$5 a month respectively — the “swapped kopi stalls” scenario. THE LOCK-IN TRADE-OFF: A 24-month plan protects you from tariff rises for two years — valuable when tariffs are climbing, as in 2026. But it also means if the tariff falls below your fixed rate, you are stuck paying more until the contract ends, and there is an early-termination charge if you exit early. THE RE-PRICING RISK: When your 24-month contract ends, the new rates on offer may be higher than what you locked in — so the certainty is only for the contract term. THE VERDICT LOGIC: A 24-month fixed plan makes most sense when (a) the current tariff is high, (b) the plan rate is comfortably below it, and (c) you expect tariffs to stay elevated. It makes least sense when the gap is tiny or tariffs look set to fall. THE PRACTICAL POINT: This calculator shows your exact monthly and annual saving at the fixed rate you enter, and its honest verdict flags when the saving is too small (under about S$60/year) to justify the two-year commitment.

A DISCOUNT-OFF-TARIFF (DOT) PLAN CHARGES YOU A FIXED DISCOUNT BELOW THE PREVAILING SP REGULATED TARIFF — EITHER A PERCENTAGE (E.G. 5% OFF) OR A FLAT CENTS-PER-KWH AMOUNT (E.G. 1.64 CENTS OFF) — SO YOU ALWAYS PAY LESS THAN SP BY THAT MARGIN. THE PERCENTAGE VERSION: If the tariff is 34.78 cents/kWh and you have a 5% DOT plan, you pay 34.78 x 0.95 = about 33.04 cents/kWh. When the tariff changes next quarter, your rate recalculates to stay 5% below the new tariff. So a 5% DOT plan always costs 5% less than staying on SP, whatever the tariff does. THE FLAT-CENT VERSION: If you have a 1.64-cent DOT plan (like Senoko LifeSteady), you pay the tariff minus 1.64 cents — so 34.78 – 1.64 = 33.14 cents/kWh. This flat discount stays constant in cents regardless of the tariff level. THE KEY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO: A percentage discount saves MORE when the tariff is HIGH (5% of a high tariff is more cents) and less when the tariff is low. A flat-cent discount saves the same absolute amount regardless of tariff level. So in a high-tariff period like 2026, a percentage DOT plan gives a bigger absolute saving than an equivalent-looking flat-cent plan. WHY SP IS A 0% DOT PLAN: Staying on the SP regulated tariff is mathematically the same as a DOT plan with a 0% discount — you pay exactly the tariff. Any DOT plan with a positive discount beats it. THE ADVANTAGE OF DOT: You are guaranteed to always be cheaper than SP, and you benefit if the tariff falls (your rate falls with it). THE DISADVANTAGE: Unlike a fixed plan, you are not protected from tariff rises — your bill still climbs when the tariff climbs, just staying below SP. THE PRACTICAL POINT: This calculator lets you enter a DOT percentage and computes your DOT rate against the current tariff, comparing it with fixed plans and SP. Enter the discount your retailer offers to see whether a DOT or fixed plan wins for you at today rates.

WHEN YOUR OEM CONTRACT ENDS, YOU TYPICALLY EITHER RENEW WITH THE SAME RETAILER, SWITCH TO ANOTHER RETAILER, OR REVERT TO THE SP REGULATED TARIFF — BUT YOU MUST ACT, BECAUSE AUTO-RENEWAL MAY OTHERWISE KICK IN. THE THREE OPTIONS AT CONTRACT END: (1) RENEW: Sign a new contract with your current retailer, often at whatever rate they offer at that time — which may be higher or lower than your expiring rate. (2) SWITCH: Move to a different retailer offering a better rate. (3) REVERT TO SP: Return to the SP regulated tariff with no contract — always an option, since SP is the default. THE RE-PRICING RISK: The rate you locked in may no longer be available. If tariffs and market rates have risen, your renewal or new-plan options could be more expensive than your expiring contract. This is the main risk of fixed plans — the certainty ends with the contract. THE AUTO-RENEWAL SAFEGUARD: Historically, some contracts auto-renewed silently, sometimes onto less favourable terms. The June 2026 consumer safeguards address this by requiring retailers to give DOUBLE notification before an auto-renewal takes effect, and by providing a 60-day penalty-free exit window — so you have time to review and switch without penalty if you are auto-renewed onto a worse rate. WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: (1) NOTE YOUR CONTRACT END DATE and set a reminder a month ahead. (2) COMPARE RATES before your contract expires, using the official comparison site. (3) DO NOT LET IT AUTO-RENEW BLINDLY — check the new rate against the market. (4) USE THE 60-DAY WINDOW if you are auto-renewed onto an uncompetitive rate. THE EARLY-EXIT NOTE: If you want to leave BEFORE your contract ends, there is usually an early-termination charge — so the end-of-contract review is the natural, penalty-free moment to reassess. THE PRACTICAL POINT: This calculator helps you re-compare at contract end — re-run it with the current tariff and the new rates on offer to decide whether to renew, switch, or revert to SP. Treat every contract expiry as a fresh decision, not an automatic renewal.

ALWAYS PRIORITISE THE UNDERLYING PER-KWH RATE OVER SIGN-UP REBATES AND GIFTS — THE RATE DETERMINES YOUR SAVINGS EVERY MONTH FOR THE WHOLE CONTRACT, WHILE A GIFT IS A ONE-OFF THAT CAN DISTRACT YOU FROM A WORSE RATE. WHY RETAILERS OFFER PERKS: OEM retailers compete not just on rate but on sign-up incentives — bill rebates (often S$50 to S$370), credit-card promo-code rebates, referral bonuses, and physical gifts (kitchen appliances, vacuum cleaners, gadgets). These are marketing tools to win your signature. THE TRAP: A generous gift can make a plan with a mediocre rate look attractive. But a one-off S$100 rebate spread over a 24-month contract is only about S$4/month — which a rate just 1 cent/kWh higher would wipe out for a typical household. So a “free gift” plan with a worse rate can cost you more over the contract than a plain plan with a better rate. HOW TO EVALUATE PROPERLY: (1) START WITH THE RATE — compute your total electricity cost over the contract at each plan rate (this calculator does the monthly and annual figures). (2) ADD THE ONE-OFF PERKS as a lump sum and divide over the contract months to get their monthly-equivalent value. (3) COMPARE THE ALL-IN COST — a slightly higher-rate plan with a big rebate might occasionally win, but usually the lower rate does. (4) IGNORE GIFTS YOU WILL NOT USE — a S$300 appliance you do not need is not worth a worse rate. THE CREDIT-CARD ANGLE: Some rebates require paying by a specific credit card — useful if you would use that card anyway, but do not let it drive the decision. THE PRACTICAL POINT: This calculator focuses on the rate because that is what drives your real, recurring saving. Use it to find the best rate first, then treat any rebate or gift as a tie-breaker between similarly-priced plans — never as the main reason to choose a plan.

THE SP REGULATED TARIFF IS MATHEMATICALLY EQUIVALENT TO A DISCOUNT-OFF-TARIFF PLAN WITH A ZERO PERCENT DISCOUNT — YOU PAY EXACTLY THE TARIFF, WITH NO MARGIN ABOVE OR BELOW IT. THE CONCEPT: A discount-off-tariff (DOT) plan is defined by how far below the regulated tariff it sits. A 5% DOT plan is 5% below; a 1.64-cent DOT plan is 1.64 cents below. Following that logic, staying on SP is simply a 0% DOT plan — zero discount, so you pay the full tariff. WHY THIS FRAMING IS USEFUL: It puts every option on the same scale. Instead of thinking “SP versus retailers” as two different things, you can think of every plan as a position relative to the tariff: SP is 0% off (the baseline), a DOT plan is X% off (always below by that margin), and a fixed plan is a flat rate that may be above or below the tariff depending on how the tariff moves. This makes comparison intuitive — any plan that is genuinely below the tariff beats SP, and the bigger the effective discount, the more you save. THE IMPLICATION FOR FIXED PLANS: A fixed plan is trickier because its “discount” versus SP changes every quarter as the tariff moves. When the tariff is high (34.78 cents), a 28.68-cent fixed plan is effectively a 17% discount; when the tariff falls to 29 cents, the same fixed plan is only about a 1% discount — and if the tariff drops below 28.68, the fixed plan becomes a PREMIUM, costing more than SP. THE STRATEGIC INSIGHT: This is why fixed plans are a bet on tariffs rising, while DOT plans guarantee you always beat SP. Understanding SP as the 0% baseline clarifies which bet you are making. THE PRACTICAL POINT: This calculator treats the SP tariff as the benchmark and shows every other plan effective discount against it, so you can see at a glance which plans genuinely beat the baseline and by how much — and whether a fixed plan is currently a discount or, in a low-tariff scenario, a premium.

YES — BUSINESSES AND COMMERCIAL PREMISES CAN AND LARGELY ALREADY DO BUY FROM OEM RETAILERS, BUT THEY OPERATE UNDER DIFFERENT ARRANGEMENTS AND RATES THAN HOUSEHOLDS. THE COMMERCIAL CONTEXT: Businesses were actually able to choose their electricity retailer before households — the market liberalised for larger consumers first. Today, commercial and industrial premises buy from OEM retailers under commercial contracts, which differ from residential plans. THE KEY DIFFERENCES FOR BUSINESSES: (1) NON-HOUSEHOLD TARIFF: The regulated tariff for non-households differs from the household rate, so the benchmark a business compares against is different. (2) CONTRACT STRUCTURES: Commercial contracts can be more customised — larger businesses may negotiate rates based on their consumption profile, load pattern, and contract volume. (3) NO U-SAVE: The U-Save rebate is a household benefit; businesses do not receive it. (4) GST INPUT CLAIM: GST-registered businesses can generally claim the GST on their electricity as input tax, unlike households, so a business often compares on a before-GST basis. (5) DEMAND CHARGES: Larger commercial accounts may face demand-based charges (based on peak power draw), not just per-kWh charges. THE SMALL BUSINESS CASE: A small business (for example, a shop, cafe, or small office) with modest consumption may be offered plans similar in structure to residential ones — fixed, DOT, or TOU — and can compare them the same way, just against the commercial tariff and without U-Save. TOU plans can be particularly relevant for businesses with predictable day or night operating hours. THE PRACTICAL POINT: While this calculator is built around the household regulated tariff and U-Save, a small business owner can still use it to understand the comparison logic — the fixed-versus-DOT-versus-TOU trade-offs are the same. For accurate commercial figures, set U-Save to zero and use your commercial tariff and quoted business rates. For larger premises, consult the retailer commercial team directly. For related business costs, see our commercial and career calculators.

THE SP REGULATED TARIFF CHANGES EVERY QUARTER, WHILE OEM RETAILER RATES CAN CHANGE FREQUENTLY FOR NEW SIGN-UPS — THOUGH ONCE YOU LOCK A FIXED PLAN, YOUR RATE IS FROZEN FOR THE CONTRACT TERM. THE REGULATED TARIFF: SP Group revises the tariff every quarter (January, April, July, October) under EMA guidelines, based on the average natural gas price over the first two and a half months of the preceding quarter. Because Singapore generates about 93 to 95% of its electricity from imported natural gas, the tariff moves with global fuel prices — which is why Q3 2026 jumped about 17% to 34.78 cents/kWh after Middle East tensions raised gas prices. OEM RATES FOR NEW SIGN-UPS: Retailer fixed-plan rates change frequently — sometimes weekly — as retailers adjust to wholesale market conditions and competition. The rate advertised today may differ from next week. This is why a plan that looked unattractive two months ago might be worth checking again. YOUR LOCKED RATE: Crucially, once you SIGN a fixed plan, your rate is frozen for the whole contract (6 to 36 months) regardless of how new-sign-up rates or the tariff move. That is the point of a fixed plan. A DOT plan rate moves with the quarterly tariff but keeps its fixed discount margin. THE IMPLICATION FOR TIMING: Because both the tariff and retailer rates move, the best time to lock a fixed plan is when the tariff is high AND retailer rates are comfortably below it — as in mid-2026. When the tariff is low and retailer rates barely undercut it, there is little to gain from locking in. WHY YOU SHOULD RE-CHECK: If you compared a while ago and found nothing attractive, the picture may have changed — both the tariff and retailer rates shift. THE PRACTICAL POINT: This calculator uses the current Q3 2026 tariff as the benchmark, but lets you enter any retailer rate, so you can re-run it whenever you compare. For the latest retailer rates, check the official comparison site at compare.openelectricitymarket.sg, then plug them in here to see your saving.

A WHOLESALE ELECTRICITY PLAN CHARGES YOU THE REAL-TIME WHOLESALE MARKET PRICE, WHICH CHANGES EVERY 30 MINUTES — IT CAN SAVE MONEY WHEN PRICES ARE LOW BUT EXPOSES YOU TO SHARP VOLATILITY, SO IT SUITS ONLY SAVVY, RISK-TOLERANT USERS. HOW IT WORKS: Instead of a fixed or tariff-linked rate, you pay the Uniform Singapore Energy Price (USEP), the wholesale price at which electricity is traded, which fluctuates every half hour based on real-time supply and demand. When demand is low and supply ample (often overnight), prices can be very cheap; when demand spikes or supply tightens, prices can surge dramatically. THE POTENTIAL UPSIDE: If you can shift your consumption to low-price periods — using automation and a smart meter to run heavy appliances when prices dip — you can save more than any fixed or DOT plan offers. THE SERIOUS DOWNSIDE: You are fully exposed to price spikes. In periods of market stress (for example, gas supply disruptions or extreme demand), wholesale prices have historically spiked to many times the normal level, and if your usage coincides with those spikes, your bill can balloon. In 2023, wholesale prices were both elevated and unpredictable. WHO IT SUITS: Only households or businesses that (a) have a smart meter, (b) can actively monitor and shift usage, (c) understand energy markets, and (d) can tolerate an occasional very high bill. This is a small minority. WHO IT DOES NOT SUIT: Anyone who wants predictable bills, cannot shift usage, or would be stressed by volatility — which is most households. For them, a fixed or DOT plan is far more appropriate. THE ANALOGY: Wholesale is like buying electricity on the stock market — potential for savings, but real risk of nasty surprises. THE PRACTICAL POINT: This calculator focuses on the mainstream options (SP regulated, fixed, DOT, and TOU) that suit the vast majority of households, because wholesale plans depend on unpredictable real-time prices that cannot be meaningfully pre-calculated. If you are considering wholesale, treat it as a specialist choice and be sure you can handle the volatility — for most people, the stability of a fixed or DOT plan is the wiser path.

THIS IS THE ONLY SINGAPORE OEM TOOL THAT COMPARES ALL FOUR OPTIONS (SP REGULATED, FIXED, DISCOUNT-OFF-TARIFF, AND PEAK/OFF-PEAK) AGAINST YOUR OWN USAGE, NETS THE U-SAVE REBATE, MODELS THE DAY/NIGHT SPLIT, AND GIVES AN HONEST VERDICT — WHILE OTHER RESOURCES OFFER BIASED RETAILER TABLES OR STATIC ONE-SCENARIO GUIDES. HERE ARE THE SIX GAPS IT FILLS: (1) FOUR-WAY NEUTRAL COMPARISON: It puts the SP regulated tariff, a fixed plan, a DOT plan, and a TOU plan side by side using YOUR usage — most competitors either sell specific retailers (biased) or compare only fixed plans. It is neutral, with no retailer affiliate bias. (2) U-SAVE NETTING: It subtracts your U-Save rebate from every plan equally, showing both gross and net bills — a step no comparison table does, and one that reflects your true cost. (3) TOU DAY/NIGHT MODELLING: It splits your usage into day and night portions at the rates you enter, showing honestly whether your night-usage share is high enough for a peak/off-peak plan to win — something no static guide can do for your specific pattern. (4) THE HONEST VERDICT: Uniquely, it tells you when switching is NOT worth it — when staying on SP is cheapest, or when the saving is too small (a few dollars a month) to justify a contract. As one honest guide noted, many plans just mean you “swapped kopi stalls” — and this tool says so plainly, building the trust that biased affiliate tables cannot. (5) CONTRACT-RISK AWARENESS: It flags contract length, early-termination charges, the 2026 60-day penalty-free exit window, and re-pricing risk — the practical realities other tools ignore. (6) A BRANDED PDF REPORT: It generates a downloadable PDF with the full four-way comparison table and your details — useful for deciding at leisure, which no free tool provides. Combined with a visual comparison chart, the current Q3 2026 tariff benchmark, three realistic Singapore worked examples, and a WhatsApp share, this makes it the most complete, neutral, and genuinely useful OEM comparison available — answering the real question honestly: for MY usage, which plan is cheapest, by how much, and is it even worth switching?