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Business Times - 16 Jul 2008 CNG car sales race ahead as petrol prices soar Over 800 units sold in past 6 months compared to just 34 for whole of 2007 By SAMUEL EE SALES of CNG cars are continuing to power ahead this year, with the number of such vehicles in the first six months soaring to 804 from a mere 34 for the whole of last year. According to the Land Transport Authority, there were 1,564 bi-fuel cars on Singapore roads as at end-June. June was also the hottest month in the first half of this year for such cars, with an all-time high of 124 units registered. Bi-fuel cars can run on both petrol and CNG (compressed natural gas). Mercedes-Benz is the only car maker that offers a CNG model - the E200 NGT (Natural Gas Technology) - direct from the factory. The rest of the petrol-engined cars here have been retrofitted with gas tanks and injectors so that they can also operate on CNG. As petrol prices soar, more and more buyers of new cars are converting their vehicles to run on CNG, which is less expensive. Apart from lower running costs, such retrofitted cars also attract a green vehicle rebate, currently set at 40 per cent of OMV (open market value). This means its list price will also be lower, thus outweighing the CNG conversion cost, which can range from $3,400 to $4,500, depending on the size of the gas tank installed. But the price of CNG is also rising fast because it is pegged to the price of high sulphur fuel oil (HFSO). Last week, it cost $1.59 per kg at Smart Energy, one of two CNG refuelling stations in Singapore. On Monday, the price rose to $1.73. 'The higher cost of CNG will definitely affect the demand for CNG cars because the price difference compared with petrol is reduced,' says Johnny Harjantho, managing director of Smart Energy. But he says that the mileage gains from CNG versus petrol will continue to make it a popular alternative, 'especially for those who travel a lot'. Mr Harjantho says that on average, a 2.0-litre car can travel about 250km on 18kg of CNG, for a cost per km number of 12.5 cents. For that same distance, the 2.0-litre car will need an average of 27.78 litres of petrol, or 23.4 cents per km using the cheapest fuel grade at $2.102 per litre. One parallel importer also believes the popularity of CNG cars will remain strong. 'Current demand is overwhelming,' he says. 'For every 10 enquiries about new cars, six or seven are for CNG models.' He adds that the waiting time for the installation of a CNG kit used to take two weeks two months ago. 'Now, the queue time is two months,' he notes. 'Look at it this way - one full tank of petrol for a 1.8-litre MPV costs $80 to $90. With CNG, it's about $40 or half the price. So, of course, you will go CNG.'

The Economy Is Doing Well COE prices are soaring because the economy is doing well and not because the Government is further slowing the growth in the vehicle population to 0.5 per cent, as that kicks in only in August, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said on Sunday. He was responding to a steady stream of complaints about certificate of entitlement (COE) prices - now at their highest in more than a decade - from residents during a walkabout in Cheng San. Mr Lui said high COE prices are due to strong demand - with wages still on the rise, dealers introducing new car models and more people bidding now in expectation that premiums may rise further. Come August, the annual allowable vehicle population growth rate goes down to 0.5 per cent, from 1.5 per cent today and 3 per cent before 2009. http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/S...ory_789267.html

bus lar, van lar, pigkarp lar, lowlee lar

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/town-councils--el...bills-soar.html """""Member of Parliament (MP) for the Bishan-Toa Payoh group representation constituency (GRC) Hri Kumar, who is also the area's town council chairman, said that the council's utility expenses shot up from $5.9 million in 2005 to $8.2 million in the previous financial year due to a rise in electricity tariffs. The council's electricity bill accounts for around 22 per cent of residents' S&CC. In his message entitled "A Very Nasty Shock" on the council's website""""" I think his shock is a little slow leh....I think alot of us already karna shock until .... [sweatdrop] ...........haiz.....looks like he never bother to read his house PUB bill..

SINGAPORE - Premiums for Certificates of Entitlement (COE) - which have surged in the past year - are expected to increase even further. Industry players who spoke to Media-Corp said they expect COE quotas to be reduced in the next quarter. In addition, demand for cars is expected to remain high. Mr Raymond Tang, honorary secretary of the Singapore Vehicle Traders Association, said: "COE prices will be moving up again because of the demand in the market, especially for Category A (small cars). "This is because dealers are bringing in smaller continental cars which go into this category - and people do want to buy these models." Mr Alvin Lim, sales consultant, Komoco Motors, said: "Quite a lot of the taxi operators, they have to get COEs as well in order to put their taxis on the road. "For this reason, they bid higher - as high as possible in order to secure COEs." Dealers said the higher prices are driving customers away, with some turning to second-hand cars. Mr Tang said Singaporeans are look ing at used cars because of the substantial difference in price between such cars and a brand new one. "The difference can be about S$30,000 to S$40,000 if you opt to buy a two-year-old car," he said. If the rise in COE premiums continues, dealers said smaller distributors will be driven out of the market. http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC11...to-soar-further

Seow leow, the last time garmen say help low-income, they raise the GST!!! http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/S...ory_622527.html Home > Breaking News > Singapore > Story Jan 10, 2011 Cost of living to soar further: Shanmugaratnam THE rising cost of living, driven partly by higher food prices, is expected to soar further in the first three months of this year before moderating, Finance Minister Tharaman Shanmugaratnam cautioned in Parliament today. But some relief for Singaporeans hurt by the quickening inflation is in store: the upcoming Budget next month will contain measures to help shield them from its impact, he promised. 'The Government will take into account the impact of inflation and the needs of low-income and retiree households when considering further transfers,' said Mr Shanmugaratnam. The minister also hinted that existing assistance schemes such as the ComCare Fund - now holding $800 million - may be enhanced to provide more buffer for the needy. 'Apart from the Budget... we've got ComCare and other schemes which will allow residents who are truly in need to get assistance,'he added. Inflation in Singapore hit 3.8 per cent in November from a year ago, the largest jump since January 2009.

SINGAPORE : Some car buyers who had ordered their vehicles just before recent jump in COE prices have ended up paying more. They had chosen the "Non-guaranteed COE", and would now have to pay an additional S$10,000. Car dealers said most buyers opted for "non-guaranteed COE" when COE prices were on a downward trend. This reversed when COE prices started climbing, with more going for "guaranteed COE", even if they had to pay S$3,000 to S$5,000 more. COE prices for small cars have nearly doubled since January. Now, COE prices for small cars stood at S$34,000, up from about S$18,000 three months ago. Some car dealers said industry players are struggling to cope with the increase. The Singapore Vehicle Traders Association (SVTA) said it is important to pick the right COE package at the time of purchase. It also warned that verbal agreements with car dealers are not enough, adding that it is best to have everything spelt out in black and white in the form of a contract. SVTA Honorary Secretary Raymond Tang said: "Some dealers say their company has never failed in bidding for a COE before, but this doesn't mean they won't fail to do so in the future." Car dealers said buyers can also ask for a refund of their deposit, but most of them have chosen to top up instead. - CNA/al source http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1051200/1/.html

Airlines shed weight as fuel costs soar abstract from CNA TOKYO : Next time you take to the skies you may find there are fewer pages in your in-flight magazine, your fork is slimmer and your plate feels different. Blame it on soaring oil prices. The seat you are sitting on may be lighter. Perhaps there's less water on board for the bathroom faucets and toilets. The drinks trolley coming your way probably weighs less too. It's all part of efforts by airlines to shed weight and conserve fuel, running in tandem with more radical steps such as cutting routes and capacity. "Individually they may sound quite trivial but they all add up," said Andrew Herdman, director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines. "Obviously, the more expensive the fuel, the more the savings translate into. Given that oil prices are at a record high and have quadrupled over the past few years, there's even more effort" to reduce weight, he told AFP. Japan Airlines (JAL), Asia's largest carrier, is among carriers that are putting fewer pages into their in-flight magazines. It has also slimmed the handles of its forks and spoons, reducing their weight by two grammes (0.07 ounces) each, said JAL spokesman Hisanori Iizuka. The weight of a freight container has been cut by 26 kilogrammes, reducing the burden of a flight by one tonne. Even the porcelain in business class on international flights is 20 percent lighter since the manufacturer put tiny bubbles inside. "It's important to make every little effort, which matters when you carry hundreds of passengers on a flight and operate 365 days" a year, said Iizuka. "The heavier the plane is, the lower its fuel efficiency. This is part of our efforts to slim down everything possible." It's not the only airline looking to shed weight. Australia's Qantas is also considering similar steps to conserve fuel. "We don't want to compromise our product or service," but the carrier is looking at lightweight meal carts, alternative packaging and examining "what we carry to remove waste, that type of thing," a spokeswoman said. Singapore Airlines has introduced lightweight drink trolleys and serviceware on board new aircraft such as the A380 superjumbo and the Boeing B777-300ER. "These carts and serviceware will be on all new aircraft which join the fleet in the future. As for magazines, based on crew feedback, titles not in demand were removed," a spokeswoman for the carrier said. All Nippon Airways has also been reducing the weight of seats, tableware, trolleys used by cabin attendants and other items. "By introducing lighter porcelain for first and business classes, we have reduced the weight by an average 66 kilogrammes on one flight," a spokeswoman said. "We're always looking for items whose weight can be reduced." Even paint adds weight to an aircraft, so some carriers have been experimenting with only polishing the exterior, particularly for cargo planes. Airlines worldwide face total losses of at least 2.3 billion dollars this year due to soaring fuel costs, according to the International Air Transport Association, which says the industry is in "crisis." At least two dozen carriers around the world have gone bust this year. Some US carriers have started to charge the first checked-in bag. And there is even speculation that the passengers might eventually have to step on the scales before boarding a plane, with heavier travellers paying more to fly, although experts say that day is not here just yet. "I don't think we've quite got to the point of passengers being weighed," said Herdman. the amt of weight saving things used in airplane cant even match the overweight passengers that is dragging down the plane down......next time airline industry should design paper aeroplane or those styrofoam made...hahaha...air stewardess must be thin thin like a bone...no more S shape...best air stewardess dun need to wear any clothes just lingerie will do

TOKYO (AFP) - - As world oil prices skyrocket, thousands of households in energy-poor Japan are taking part in an ambitious experiment to use fuel cells to light and heat their homes. ADVERTISEMENT Since the prime minister's official residence became the first house in the world to be equipped with a domestic fuel cell in 2005, about 3,000 households have signed up to have the grey boxes installed outside their homes. The project aims to thrust Japan to the forefront of a "hydrogen society" that has kicked its addiction to fossil fuels and produces affordable energy while spewing out far less of the greenhouse gas that is blamed for global warming. "The principle of fuel cells has been known since the end of the 14th century, but their first practical use was not until 1965, aboard the American spacecraft Gemini 5," said Michihiro Mohri, a senior vice president at Nippon Oil Corp. The fuel cells produce electricity and hot water through a chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen extracted from natural gas or other fuels. "The hydrogen needed can come from various sources -- hydrocarbons, natural gas, bio mass or rubbish" to create methane, said Mohri. While the fuel cells do not emit carbon dioxide, some is produced by the system during the process to extract hydrogen from natural gas, although less than traditional forms of power generation. As well as producing electricity, the fuel cells also ensure a steady supply of hot water for households. With no motor inside, the machines -- about the size of a small cupboard -- are also silent. "Households with the system are also no longer at the mercy of power cuts during natural disasters," said Mohri, an obvious plus for people living in one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. Japan, with almost no natural energy resources of its own, is seeking to reduce its dependence on crude oil imports by developing energy efficient appliances and alternative forms of power generation. Oil prices posted their biggest ever one-day gain on Friday, hitting a new record of 138.54 dollars a barrel in New York, up five-fold since 2003 amid supply worries and rising demand in emerging economies. Far behind in meeting its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol to cutting emissions, Japan hopes to drastically reduce the amount of carbon dioxide produced by its households. The government even recently called on households to cut their time in the bath or shower to help meet Kyoto targets. The government-sponsored fuel cell scheme involves a clutch of Japanese energy and technology heavyweights including Nippon Oil, Tokyo Gas, Sanyo Electric, Toshiba, Matsushita Electric Industrial, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Toyota Motor. Some provide the source of hydrogen, others batteries or other components. The government estimates there could be demand for 550,000 domestic fuel cells a year in Japan within a few years. There are 48 million households in Japan, of which 25 million live in individual houses. For now, however, the system is expensive at about two million yen, or some 19,000 dollars, excluding installation. Research is underway to make the machines as economical as possible thanks to less expensive sources of hydrogen. Thanks to reductions in the cost of components, the companies involved in the project hope to reduce the price of the equipment to one million yen as soon as possible to boost demand, and to cut it further to 500,000 yen in 2015. Japanese automakers are also chasing the fuel cell dream, working to create a viable car which would produce power through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen and leaving water as the only by-product. http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080608/tap-...pa-d1078a1.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Can I import the fuel cell device from Japan???Buay Tah Han the fuel price these days Can't stand those cartels anymore..