Electricity, like water, is a public good and a basic infrastructure provided to all residents in mainland Singapore. However, in Pulau Ubin, there is a lack of provision of electricity by the state. The residents of Pulau Ubin have to rely on their own diesel-operated generators for electricity. In the past, there used to be private contractors supplying electricity to the island through their own diesel-operated generators, but those too were unreliable and ultimately were not able to survive in Pulau Ubin (ST 1980). There have been numerous calls for the Public Utilities Board (PUB) to tackle this issue but there has yet to be any conclusion (ST 1980).  

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A private company has reached out to some of the residents of Pulau Ubin to aid in the installation of photovoltaic panels for electricity. In an interview, 83-year-old Ahmad bin Kassim mentions that he paid S$1,500 for each photovoltaic panel, and he installed two such panels in his house. 

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For residents like Ahmad bin Kassim, the convenience that comes with having electricity at a flick of their fingers is something that they require, especially considering the fact that most of them are elderly. It would be a difficult task for them to continue relying on the diesel-powered generators, or to rely on kerosene lamps. Forking out a large sum of money for the photovoltaic panels could significantly impact the residents; not all of them would be able to afford such a large sum of money. The state could look at means to aid the residents of Pulau Ubin, either by subsidising or waiving the costs of installation. After all, if so much is being done to benefit the visitors to Pulau Ubin, surely something could be done so as not to deprive the residents of such a basic amenity enjoyed by the rest of the citizenry on the “mainland”? 

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In 2011, the state, through the Energy Market Authority (EMA) appointed a private company to design and build a micro-grid test-bed to provide electricity in Pulau Ubin via diesel-powered generators and photovoltaic cells (Ng 2011). Initially, the plan was to have the micro-grid system reach out to all the residents on Pulau Ubin. However, due to cost constraints, the system was only implemented in the Pulau Ubin town area, the very same area where the water filtration systems were provided by the state. While this move is supported by the state, the question remains as to why the residents who are not covered in this micro-grid system have to fork out their own money just to enjoy the same benefits as those in the Pulau Ubin town area. In addition, the electricity generated by the micro-grid system is being charged at a rate of S$0.80/kWh, while mainland Singapore enjoys electricity prices at rates which are 80% cheaper.