SINGAPORE: Home owners must have a residual current circuit breaker installed in their homes from Jul 1, said the Energy Market Authority and the Housing and Development Board on Friday .
A grace period of two years from Jul 1 will be given to home owners to install the device. The requirement is applicable to all residential premises.Since July 1985, all new electrical installations including those in new homes built have been required to have a residual current circuit breaker installed. Before this, all homes, including HDB flats and private housing, were provided with fuses to protect against current overload in circuits and appliances.
"To enhance electrical safety of these premises, it is hence necessary to introduce this requirement," said the authorities. For three-room and larger flats completed in the same period, about 2 per cent do not have the device or have residual current circuit breakers that do not protect the whole flat.In a separate reply, an EMA spokesperson said while there were no figures for private residential premises without residual current circuit breakers, it is expected that the proportion should be low.
Private home owners will also be notified to check and install a residual current circuit breaker if they do not already have one.To provide support to lower-income households without the device, HDB has been carrying out the installation for home owners of one- and two-room HDB sold flats completed in and before 1985.