How to Switch Electricity Retailer in Singapore
Last updated: 12 September 2026
Since the Open Electricity Market (OEM) opened to every household in Singapore, switching electricity retailer is a self-service process that doesn't involve any rewiring, new meters, or interruption to your power supply. Here's what actually happens.
What stays the same when you switch
SP Group remains the operator of the physical power grid no matter which retailer you buy electricity from — switching retailers changes who bills you and at what rate, not who delivers the electricity to your home. Your supply is not interrupted during a switch, and no technician visit or meter replacement is needed for a standard switch.
Who can switch
Every residential electricity account in Singapore — HDB flat, condominium, or landed property — is eligible to switch retailer, and there's no deadline or obligation to do so. If you're renting, you can only make the switch yourself if the SP Group account is in your own name; otherwise your landlord holds that contractual relationship with SP Group and needs to authorise or make the switch. Businesses can switch too, but under separate business-tier plans and eligibility rules — this guide covers the residential process.
Step 1: Compare plans
Check the current SP tariff and compare fixed-rate and discount-off-tariff plans from OEM-licensed retailers. Enter your monthly usage on our comparison page to see an estimated monthly bill for each plan side-by-side, rather than comparing raw cents-per-kWh rates alone.
Step 2: Check the contract terms
Before signing up, check the contract length, any early termination fee, deposit requirements, and whether the advertised rate is inclusive of GST. A plan that looks cheapest on rate alone can end up costing more if it carries a deposit or a long lock-in that doesn't suit your situation.
What happens to your security deposit
If you're currently billed by SP Group at the regulated tariff, SP typically holds a security deposit split roughly 65% toward your electricity account and 35% toward your other utility accounts (water, gas). When you switch to an OEM retailer, the electricity portion is generally carried over to serve as your deposit with the new retailer — though this varies: some retailers waive the deposit requirement entirely, while others collect their own instead, often calculated from average usage for your dwelling type and charged on your first bill. If you'd rather not have your existing deposit carried over, you can ask SP Group to refund it to you directly, though that typically takes a few weeks to process.
When you eventually leave a retailer — whether by switching again or moving back to SP Group — that retailer is required to refund any deposit you paid them, typically within a month of your final bill with them being settled.
Step 3: Sign up with the new retailer
Sign up directly through the retailer's own website or customer service channel, using the address and account details from your SP Group bill. The retailer you're switching to handles the coordination with SP Group on the back end — you don't need to inform SP Group yourself or close anything with your current provider manually.
Step 4: The switch takes effect
Your new retailer will confirm a start date once the switch is processed — contracts can start as early as 5 business days after your retailer notifies SP Group of the switch, though your retailer's own processing can extend that. Meter readings at the point of transition are handled automatically by SP Group's metering system, so you're billed correctly by each retailer for the period they actually supplied you. Check the confirmation your chosen retailer sends you for your exact start date.
If your contract auto-renewed instead
Since 19 June 2026, EMA requires retailers to notify you twice before an auto-renewal and give you 60 days after any auto-renewal to switch away without an early termination fee — see our guide to the new safeguards if you think this might apply to you.
Can you switch back, or switch again later?
Yes — there's no limit on switching retailers again in future, though your current contract's terms (such as an early termination fee within a lock-in period) may apply if you switch before it ends. You can also move back to SP Group's regulated tariff if you choose not to be on a retailer plan.