https://www.scmp.com/rss/139981/feed HK Electric (formerly Hongkong Electric) is one of Hong Kong's two major electricity providers. It is controlled by multinational conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, which has five core businesses ‐ ports and related services, retail, infrastructure, energy and telecommunications in over 50 countries. The conglomerate is headed by Li Ka-shing, one of Asia’s wealthiest men, who has been nicknamed “Superman” because of his investment prowess. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Hong Kong’s CLP Power is distributing HK$100 (US$13) consumption coupons to about 600,000 eligible customers, including elderly people receiving concessionary tariffs, using HK$60 million from the company’s Community Energy Saving Fund. The initiative follows the power company’s earlier announcement that it would raise its fuel cost adjustment (FCA) charge starting this month, citing a discrepancy between forecast and actual fuel prices amid the United States-Israel war against Iran, which has... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348760/hong-kongs-clp-power-give-out-hk100-shopping-coupons-600000-customers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348760/hong-kongs-clp-power-give-out-hk100-shopping-coupons-600000-customers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 05:43:24 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing The conflict in the Middle East has triggered a global energy crisis that serves as a “yellow warning” for Hong Kong, which so far has escaped the severe impact seen elsewhere, tycoon Michael Kadoorie has said. “At this point, I think we’re very lucky. Now we touched on the story of fuel. It may impact us. It does already send a warning light,” the CLP Group chairman said. “So you have your traffic lights red, yellow and green. Well, we’re yellow. We’re not at red, but we have to think ahead as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3348315/hong-kong-yellow-alert-middle-east-conflict-fuels-global-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3348315/hong-kong-yellow-alert-middle-east-conflict-fuels-global-energy-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:30:22 +0000 Jess Ma,Danny Mok Jess Ma,Danny Mok Hongkongers could pay heftier electricity bills in the near future, a utility firm has warned, saying an increase in its surcharge will be “unavoidable” if conflict in the Middle East continues to impact fuel prices. HK Electric said on Thursday that it would initially decrease its fuel charge cost (FCC) in April, but would raise it mid-year if fuel prices remained high or further increased. A day earlier, fellow utility firm CLP Power increased its fuel cost adjustment (FCA) charge due to a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3347924/clp-raise-fuel-cost-adjustment-next-month-first-increase-more-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3347924/clp-raise-fuel-cost-adjustment-next-month-first-increase-more-year?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:45:46 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Hong Kong authorities are facing mounting pressure from lawmakers to roll out more measures to rein in surging fuel prices, including a requirement for firms to disclose pricing formulas when bidding for petrol stations – an idea the environment minister said could be considered. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan told the Legislative Council on Wednesday the government was open to reviewing the current tender policy for petrol station sites to bring down fuel prices, a proposal... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3347850/hong-kong-weighs-petrol-pricing-disclosure-rule-tenders-fuel-costs-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3347850/hong-kong-weighs-petrol-pricing-disclosure-rule-tenders-fuel-costs-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 08:28:25 +0000 Kevin Li Kevin Li Hongkongers may begin to feel the impact of the escalating war in the Middle East in the coming months, as rising global oil prices are expected to push up energy bills and dining costs, according to experts. Analysts said the attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel, and subsequent retaliation across the region, were also likely to slow the pace of US interest rate cuts and curb the rise in Hong Kong housing prices. As military operations in the Middle East entered their fourth day,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3345321/hong-kong-inflation-risks-grow-war-middle-east-escalates-experts-warn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3345321/hong-kong-inflation-risks-grow-war-middle-east-escalates-experts-warn?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 00:30:08 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong The Coroner’s Court has postponed a long-awaited verdict for an inquest into one of Hong Kong’s deadliest maritime disasters, in which 39 residents died after a collision between two ferries in 2012. The court was slated to make a ruling on Thursday on the underlying causes of the crash, which took place off Lamma Island, that had not been identified by a previous government-appointed inquiry in 2013. A judiciary spokesman confirmed the hearing had been postponed but declined to elaborate. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3334928/hong-kong-court-postpones-inquest-verdict-2012-lamma-island-ferry-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3334928/hong-kong-court-postpones-inquest-verdict-2012-lamma-island-ferry-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 10:32:57 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial A monthly HK$10 saving may not mean much in a city notorious for its high cost of living. But to many hard-pressed Hong Kong households, a modest 2 per cent cut in electricity tariffs comes as a surprise. The reduction seems to defy the perception that the saying “what goes up must come down” does not apply to utility bills. But the cut remains the exception rather than the norm, as this is only the second time since 2017 that the annual electricity tariff adjustment has resulted in users paying... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3333640/cheaper-electricity-bills-are-nice-not-enough?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3333640/cheaper-electricity-bills-are-nice-not-enough?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 23:15:14 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong residents will see their electricity bills drop by 2.2 to 2.6 per cent in 2026, as the city’s two utility providers cite lower and more stable fuel prices, a welcome shift following last year’s nearly 1 per cent price increase. In announcements on Tuesday, ahead of the December 7 Legislative Council election, CLP Power and HK Electric said they would reduce residential tariffs by 2.6 and 2.2 per cent respectively from January, compared with a year ago. The utility providers said they... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3333236/hongkongers-pay-2-less-electricity-january-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3333236/hongkongers-pay-2-less-electricity-january-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 07:12:27 +0000 Leopold Chen,Wynna Wong Leopold Chen,Wynna Wong Hong Kong will leverage the National Games to encourage residents to vote in the coming Legislative Council election, officials have said, as more companies offered workers a half day off to cast their ballots in the poll. Speaking on Sunday at the closing ceremony of the torch relay for the Games, which the city is co-hosting this month, Hong Kong’s No 2 official, Eric Chan Kwok-ki, focused briefly on the December election. “At this moment full of passion and mobility, I must remind everyone... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3331231/hong-kong-officials-eye-legco-poll-push-little-boost-national-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3331231/hong-kong-officials-eye-legco-poll-push-little-boost-national-games?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Nov 2025 10:08:01 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu Hong Kong’s business sector has echoed a government call to boost the voter turnout rate in the coming Legislative Council election by offering incentives such as a half day of paid leave and transport subsidies to encourage employees to cast their ballots. Developer Sino Group was among the first conglomerates leading the drive as it announced it would grant more than 11,000 staff members a half day of leave for voting on December 7 while promoting election awareness internally. “This is... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3331127/hong-kong-business-sector-push-get-workers-vote-coming-legco-poll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3331127/hong-kong-business-sector-push-get-workers-vote-coming-legco-poll?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 14:30:43 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Hong Kong’s affluent Repulse Bay neighbourhood has been hit by a power outage, leaving 230 households without electricity for five hours after a high-voltage cable was damaged. A spokesman from HK Electric, which serves Hong Kong Island and Lamma Island, said an 11-kilovolt high-voltage cable was suspected to be damaged by a third-party construction project at around 2.35pm on Tuesday. “This incident affected several substations on Repulse Bay Road, cutting off power to over 230 customers in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3324910/hong-kongs-repulse-bay-hit-power-outage-200-homes-without-electricity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3324910/hong-kongs-repulse-bay-hit-power-outage-200-homes-without-electricity?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 10:13:05 +0000 Edith Lin,Ng Kang-chung Edith Lin,Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong residents will pay a smaller electricity bill in September, with some having prices cut by up to 6.7 per cent compared with January, after the city’s two power companies adjusted fuel costs in response to geopolitical tensions. HK Electric, which supplies energy to users on Hong Kong Island and Lamma Island, said on Monday that September’s bill would have an average net tariff per kilowatt-hour that was 6.7 per cent lower than in January. Meanwhile, customers with CLP Power, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3323080/hong-kong-residents-pay-67-less-electricity-september?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3323080/hong-kong-residents-pay-67-less-electricity-september?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 10:15:58 +0000 Oscar Liu,Lorraine Chiang Oscar Liu,Lorraine Chiang A burst pipe in Hong Kong’s North Point on the weekend cut off the water supply to about 2,600 residents and left 130 households without electricity on Monday, prompting authorities to carry out emergency repairs. The Home Affairs Department said the Water Supplies Department completed repairs on the water pipe early in the morning and that the water supply had resumed. But electricity at Ming Yuen Centre, a residential building near the damaged water main, was not restored until Monday... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3321441/burst-pipe-hong-kongs-north-point-leaves-thousands-without-water-electricity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3321441/burst-pipe-hong-kongs-north-point-leaves-thousands-without-water-electricity?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 08:07:58 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov Hong Kong environmental authorities will impose new emission caps on power plants from 2030 in a bid to further improve local air quality, with a major electricity firm pledging to import more zero-carbon energy from mainland China. The Environment and Ecology Bureau said on Friday that it would further cut the electricity sector’s annual emission allowances for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and respirable suspended particulates (RSPs). In five years, the allowances would be reduced by 19 per... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3312510/hong-kong-impose-new-emission-caps-local-power-plants-2030?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3312510/hong-kong-impose-new-emission-caps-local-power-plants-2030?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 May 2025 11:44:06 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A former Marine Department official has maintained at a court inquest into one of Hong Kong’s deadliest maritime disasters that he and his colleagues were not obliged to detect structural flaws during regular ship inspections. Retired principal ship surveyor Wong Chi-kin told the Coroner’s Court on Friday that department staff would only inspect specific items on a vessel “by intuition” without looking for possible defects. Wong said ship inspectors would not have realised the lack of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3311613/inspectors-did-not-need-look-ship-flaws-hong-kong-disaster-probe-told?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3311613/inspectors-did-not-need-look-ship-flaws-hong-kong-disaster-probe-told?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 May 2025 13:15:38 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong Two Marine Department officials have told a court inquest that they failed to notice a design flaw in a ferry involved in one of Hong Kong’s deadliest maritime disasters as they thought they were not required to look for such issues during periodical check-ups. The Coroner’s Court on Monday heard oral evidence from three current and former ship inspectors who were involved in checks on the Lamma IV between 1997 and 2009 before it collided with another ferry and sank on October 1, 2012. The Lamma... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3310969/hong-kong-marine-officials-missed-ferry-design-flaw-disaster-inquiry-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3310969/hong-kong-marine-officials-missed-ferry-design-flaw-disaster-inquiry-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2025 14:33:57 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A former engineering manager at the company that built a ferry involved in one of Hong Kong’s deadliest maritime disasters has admitted during a court inquest that he failed to ensure the accuracy of the vessel’s safety data submitted to the government. Cheung Chuen-yau made the comment while testifying at the Coroner’s Court on Friday, the fourth day of what is expected to be a 60-day inquiry into a 2012 maritime disaster that left 39 people dead. Cheung told the court that he was responsible... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3309798/ex-ship-worker-failed-check-safety-data-sunk-hong-kong-ferry-court-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3309798/ex-ship-worker-failed-check-safety-data-sunk-hong-kong-ferry-court-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 May 2025 11:59:09 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A survivor of Hong Kong’s Lamma Island ferry disaster has told a court inquest that the life jackets were locked away and he was unable to obtain one for himself before his ferry sank following its collision with another vessel. Philip Chiu Ping-chuen, whose sister died in the tragedy, on Thursday became the first witness to provide verbal testimony at the coroner’s inquiry into the accident that took place on October 1, 2012. That night, the Lamma Island-bound Sea Smooth catamaran, operated by... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3309588/hong-kong-ferry-disaster-survivor-says-life-jackets-locked-away-sinking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3309588/hong-kong-ferry-disaster-survivor-says-life-jackets-locked-away-sinking?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 May 2025 09:42:08 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A ferry involved in one of Hong Kong’s worst maritime disasters 13 years ago was sailing at high speed before it crashed into another vessel and caused the latter to sink within minutes, a court inquest has heard. The Coroner’s Court heard on Wednesday that the Sea Smooth could have been travelling as fast as 20 knots, or about 37km/h, before the collision with the Lamma IV off the waters of Lamma Island that claimed 39 lives on October 1, 2012. Witnesses also recalled how the Sea Smooth’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3309458/boat-involved-hong-kong-ferry-disaster-was-sailing-high-speed-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3309458/boat-involved-hong-kong-ferry-disaster-was-sailing-high-speed-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 May 2025 12:55:00 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong A coroner’s inquest into one of Hong Kong’s worst maritime disasters started on Tuesday, with some survivors complaining that they were never told the location of life-saving apparatus and the means of escape before their ferry sank in the accident 13 years ago. The Coroner’s Court on Tuesday began hearing evidence regarding the circumstances of the 39 deaths caused by a collision between two ferries in waters off Lamma Island on October 1, 2012. The long-overdue hearing was held after two... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3309320/coroners-inquest-begins-2012-hong-kong-lamma-ferry-disaster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3309320/coroners-inquest-begins-2012-hong-kong-lamma-ferry-disaster?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 May 2025 16:07:41 +0000 Dave Besseling Dave Besseling “Hongkong Electric and a green group have teamed up to explore the feasibility of wind-generated electricity in the SAR,” reported the South China Morning Post on December 27, 2000. “The power company has commissioned the Friends of the Earth to conduct a $1 million exploratory project on wind power. “They hope to produce a ‘wind atlas’ to show the power potential of different areas and persuade the Government or private developers to invest in wind power. Friends of the Earth researcher Eric... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3298525/when-hong-kong-built-its-first-wind-turbine-lamma-island?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3298525/when-hong-kong-built-its-first-wind-turbine-lamma-island?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Feb 2025 22:15:07 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma A Hong Kong power firm has apologised and rectified a road marking error after a contractor wrote the incorrect Chinese characters for Kennedy Town on a major thoroughfare. HK Electric said on Friday the mistake was made by its contractor, who had put up temporary road markings on the ground after carrying out electrical improvement works at Connaught Road West. “[We] immediately instructed the contractor to make corrections and reminded the engineering staff and contractors to pay careful... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3294244/kenmuddy-town-hong-kong-power-firm-apologises-botched-road-markings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3294244/kenmuddy-town-hong-kong-power-firm-apologises-botched-road-markings?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jan 2025 09:01:21 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow Hongkongers will be hit with increases to their utility and food bills, transport fares and public flat rents from January. The Post lists the items that will be subject to higher costs in 2025. 1. Electricity bills will rise by nearly 1 per cent CLP Power, serving Kowloon, the New Territories and Lantau Island, will increase fees by 0.98 per cent per unit of electricity. Customers of HK Electric, which serves Hong Kong Island and several outlying islands, will also bear an extra 0.9 per cent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3292926/cost-living-hong-kong-what-youll-have-pay-more-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3292926/cost-living-hong-kong-what-youll-have-pay-more-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jan 2025 04:00:14 +0000 Nearly 200 people were trapped on the Hong Kong Observation Wheel for about 45 minutes after a fire halted its operation on Thursday. Rescue services were sent to the scene after receiving a call at 5.16pm, while the Ferris wheel at the Central harbourfront had stopped running, with 190 people on it. An electrical device was said to have emitted smoke before the power supply to the attraction was suspended. Ten fire engines and two ambulances were sent to the scene. At about 5.50pm, all 190... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3289538/200-trapped-after-fire-alarm-halts-hong-kong-ferris-wheel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3289538/200-trapped-after-fire-alarm-halts-hong-kong-ferris-wheel?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Dec 2024 10:14:21 +0000 Hongkongers will have to pay nearly 1 per cent more for electricity next year, the city’s two power companies have said, after cutting prices by as much as 16 per cent last year. Residential bills for CLP Power’s customers would increase from January by 0.98 per cent compared with a year ago while those for HK Electric users would rise by 0.9 per cent, the companies revealed on Tuesday. CLP Power, which serves Kowloon, the New Territories and Lantau Island, said it would increase its basic... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3287245/hongkongers-pay-nearly-1-more-electricity-next-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3287245/hongkongers-pay-nearly-1-more-electricity-next-year?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Nov 2024 10:15:25 +0000 Hong Kong’s two power companies have unveiled relief measures worth more than HK$310 million (US$39.8 million) for consumers before a meeting in the legislature to discuss their prices, with some initiatives aimed at low-income households and NGOs. CLP Power said on Friday it would spend HK$240 million on 12 initiatives launching next year, including a subsidy to replace air conditioners in the homes of underprivileged residents. HK Electric, meanwhile, said it would allocate more than HK$70... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3286820/hong-kong-power-firms-vow-hk310-million-relief-measures-legco-meeting-prices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3286820/hong-kong-power-firms-vow-hk310-million-relief-measures-legco-meeting-prices?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Nov 2024 13:28:15 +0000 Hong Kong’s largest electricity supplier should prioritise installing devices against lightning and flooding in its network ahead of the coming storm season, especially after voltage dips caused service disruptions twice in less than two weeks, according to an engineer. CLP Power, which supplies electricity to Kowloon, the New Territories and most of the city’s outlying islands, pledged to implement short-, medium- and long-term measures to tackle power interruptions after the latest outages on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3267784/hong-kongs-clp-power-should-prioritise-protective-devices-storm-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3267784/hong-kongs-clp-power-should-prioritise-protective-devices-storm-season?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jun 2024 05:35:56 +0000 Authorities are right to demand a full accounting from CLP Power, one of Hong Kong’s two electricity suppliers, after the utility racked up its sixth and worst blackout of the year. The company has now been ordered to review voltage dips and blackouts over the past three years. The latest incident left about 2,250 households and businesses in Wong Tai Sin without power for more than four hours last week. It happened less than a month after government officials said they were “very concerned”... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3267291/clp-needs-amp-probe-worrying-hong-kong-power-outages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3267291/clp-needs-amp-probe-worrying-hong-kong-power-outages?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jun 2024 22:15:08 +0000 It is less than a month since the Hong Kong government said it was “very concerned” about five incidents of major interruptions to the electricity supply on the grid operated by CLP Power in the first four months of the year. The latest CLP outage – last Wednesday – left 2,250 households in Wong Tai Sin without power for more than four hours with some residents and businesses only getting power restored after midnight. As a result, the government updated its statement to “deep concern”.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3266632/hong-kong-must-demand-more-power-companies-after-series-failures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3266632/hong-kong-must-demand-more-power-companies-after-series-failures?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jun 2024 01:30:10 +0000 A four-hour electricity outage plunged the densely populated district of Wong Tai Sin into darkness while many were eating dinner last week, prompting Hong Kong authorities to ask CLP Power to review all voltage dips and blackouts over the past three years. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan summoned the company’s boss to request “fundamental improvements” to its culture and electricity supply management system. He also questioned whether CLP’s service quality was “on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3266801/hong-kongs-clp-power-decline-post-looks-string-voltage-dips-outages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3266801/hong-kongs-clp-power-decline-post-looks-string-voltage-dips-outages?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Jun 2024 08:30:13 +0000 A power outage in Hong Kong’s densely populated Wong Tai Sin district plunged 2,250 households into darkness for up to four hours with at least four reports of people trapped in lifts. Electricity firm CLP Power said on Wednesday that a fault in an 11kV cable in the district disrupted the supply for customers in the area at 8.02pm, with engineers dispatched to carry out emergency repairs. It apologised to the 2,250 customers affected. In a statement issued late on Wednesday, the company said it... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3266365/power-cut-hong-kongs-wong-tai-sin-district-plunges-some-buildings-malls-darkness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3266365/power-cut-hong-kongs-wong-tai-sin-district-plunges-some-buildings-malls-darkness?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2024 13:56:07 +0000 The Hong Kong government has proposed an extra penalty charge for major interruptions to the electricity supply after large-scale disruptions on the grid operated by CLP Power earlier this year. The Environment and Ecology Bureau on Monday said the government was “very concerned” about the five incidents involving CLP Power in the first four months of this year, which had also dented public confidence in the sector. “The incidents affected the daily life and aroused the concerns of the public on... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3263414/government-proposes-extra-clp-power-penalty-charges-voltage-falls-alongside-existing-power-cut-fines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3263414/government-proposes-extra-clp-power-penalty-charges-voltage-falls-alongside-existing-power-cut-fines?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 May 2024 14:46:36 +0000 Hong Kong’s electricity firms should be fined for any voltage dips that result in people getting trapped in lifts, lawmakers have proposed as part of measures in response to a spate of incidents in recent months that had left hundreds in need of rescue. Lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun said on Monday that the penalty system should be created to put pressure on CLP Power, after a high-voltage-equipment failure at Black Point Power Station in Tuen Mun caused a voltage dip last Saturday. The incident... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3258225/hong-kong-energy-firms-should-be-fined-if-voltage-dips-leave-people-stuck-lifts-lawmakers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3258225/hong-kong-energy-firms-should-be-fined-if-voltage-dips-leave-people-stuck-lifts-lawmakers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Apr 2024 08:32:39 +0000 Fast-food chain McDonald’s will increase most of its prices in Hong Kong by HK$1 next week, blaming the high cost of local labour, global consumer goods and food for rising operating expenses. The changes, set to take effect on January 2, will apply to all products sold at McDonald’s, with the exception of the six-piece sharing buckets of chicken, which will undergo a HK$3 increase. “Facing the continued high prices of global consumer goods and international food, as well as the increasing cost... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3246721/mcdonalds-increase-prices-hong-kong-about-26-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3246721/mcdonalds-increase-prices-hong-kong-about-26-new-year?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Dec 2023 17:00:20 +0000 Increases in Hong Kong’s electricity prices will be lower than inflation in the coming years, the environment chief has said, while also revealing authorities are engaged in talks to build a nuclear power plant in mainland China to help the city meet its carbon reduction goals. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said the government had cut the investment expenditure of the city’s two electricity providers for the next five years to curb price hikes. “We believe that we have more... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3244494/electricity-prices-will-not-exceed-inflation-hong-kong-environment-chief-says-reveals-talks-underway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3244494/electricity-prices-will-not-exceed-inflation-hong-kong-environment-chief-says-reveals-talks-underway?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Dec 2023 06:43:04 +0000 What goes up must come down is a saying that rarely applies to utility bills, but in a pleasant surprise to Hong Kong households and businesses, the tariffs of two power companies will be cut for the first time since 2017. The reductions are purely because fuel prices have dropped significantly. In fact, the basic charges are still spiralling above inflation, thanks to a profit scheme that puts energy users in a disadvantaged position. The net tariffs are to be slashed by 16 per cent by HK... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3243280/cuts-hong-kong-power-giants-offer-light-relief-those-left-struggle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3243280/cuts-hong-kong-power-giants-offer-light-relief-those-left-struggle?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Nov 2023 22:15:06 +0000 Hong Kong lawmakers on Wednesday slammed a new penalty mechanism imposed on the city’s two power companies to address major electricity disruptions and called it a “numbers game” as an existing rewards structure could offset the fines. They also questioned whether electricity bills, cut by 7.4 per cent by CLP Power and 16 per cent by HK Electric from next January, would go up again with unstable fuel prices amid continued geopolitical conflicts. The new rules, under which the penalty would be... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3243196/hong-kong-lawmakers-slam-new-penalty-structure-power-outages-imposed-energy-firms-dismiss-it-numbers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3243196/hong-kong-lawmakers-slam-new-penalty-structure-power-outages-imposed-energy-firms-dismiss-it-numbers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Nov 2023 05:07:56 +0000 Hong Kong’s two power companies will cut their charges by as much as 16 per cent next year after reaching an agreement with the government on adopting harsher punishment and special subsidies in the event of an electricity supply crisis, such as a natural disaster that causes prices to fluctuate. The companies on Tuesday said that after taking into account falling fuel prices, residential bills for CLP Power would be 7.4 per cent less and those for HK Electric 16 per cent lower starting in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3243121/hong-kongs-2-power-companies-cut-charges-16?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3243121/hong-kongs-2-power-companies-cut-charges-16?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Nov 2023 10:35:39 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. The Legislative Council’s review of the five-year development plans of Hong Kong’s two power companies, HK Electric and CLP Power, is expected to start today, as part of the interim review of the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3242957/hong-kongs-zero-carbon-goal-just-vital-having-affordable-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3242957/hong-kongs-zero-carbon-goal-just-vital-having-affordable-power?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Nov 2023 03:30:09 +0000 Hong Kong’s two electricity suppliers have announced relief measures to ease the financial burden of low-income families, with the firms expected to reveal their tariff plans for next year on Tuesday. CLP Power, the larger of the firms, on Monday said it would budget HK$70 million (US$9 million) to support low-income families in 2024. HK Electric said it had earmarked HK$55 million to promote its decarbonisation initiatives including cash coupons for needy households next year. The Legislative... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3243010/hong-kong-electricity-suppliers-offer-relief-measures-needy-firms-expected-reveal-tariff-adjustments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3243010/hong-kong-electricity-suppliers-offer-relief-measures-needy-firms-expected-reveal-tariff-adjustments?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Nov 2023 16:05:55 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters When the Australian-Chinese activist Tse Tsan-tai and the British journalist Alfred Cunningham published the first print run of the South China Morning Post in November 1903, Hong Kong was already a bustling entrepot teeming with a vibrant business community that served foreign merchants in their commercial activities. At least a dozen of those companies that preceded the birth year of the Post remain to this day. AS Watson, 1828 The company traces its roots to 1828 as the Canton Dispensary and... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3240188/watson-hsbc-and-star-ferry-many-hong-kongs-oldest-businesses-predated-post?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3240188/watson-hsbc-and-star-ferry-many-hong-kongs-oldest-businesses-predated-post?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Nov 2023 00:15:13 +0000 The Lamma ferry disaster, in which 39 people including eight young children lost their lives, is one of the worst maritime tragedies in Hong Kong history. More than a decade has passed since the horrific collision between two passenger vessels on October 1, 2012. For many, memories of the tragedy have faded. But the suffering of those who lost loved ones continues. The disaster raised many questions about maritime safety. It sparked a public inquiry and several criminal trials. But after all... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3229173/inquest-2012-hong-kong-ferry-disaster-necessary-step-bring-closure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3229173/inquest-2012-hong-kong-ferry-disaster-necessary-step-bring-closure?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jul 2023 22:15:09 +0000 An order by Hong Kong’s High Court on Wednesday to open a coroner’s inquest into one of the city’s worst maritime disasters is a breakthrough in an 11-year battle for justice by families of its victims. One of the plaintiffs, Alice Leung Suk-ling, who lost her brother in the tragedy, said outside the High Court that the ruling made her “very emotional”. “This is the only time I can smile in front of the camera after so many years,” she said. “I was very emotional inside the courtroom, this is... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3229047/can-shadow-lamma-iv-disaster-last-be-lifted-post-looks-implications-high-court-ruling-favour-inquest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3229047/can-shadow-lamma-iv-disaster-last-be-lifted-post-looks-implications-high-court-ruling-favour-inquest?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jul 2023 03:00:23 +0000 Lower electricity bills for Hong Kong Island residents prompted by falling fuel prices will not be enough to make a difference in the lives of the many of the city’s poorest, an NGO has said. Sze Lai-shan, deputy director of the Society for Community Organisation, urged HK Electric on Wednesday to offer more relief measures for residents living in subdivided flats. “In spite of the drop, some residents have told us electricity prices are still unaffordable, and that living on Hong Kong Island is... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3229050/cuts-power-bills-hong-kong-island-residents-not-enough-subdivided-flat-tenants-ngo-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3229050/cuts-power-bills-hong-kong-island-residents-not-enough-subdivided-flat-tenants-ngo-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jul 2023 01:00:23 +0000 Hong Kong’s High Court has ordered a coroner’s inquest into one of the city’s worst maritime disasters after it ruled it was in the public interest to subject authorities to scrutiny in a bid to prevent similar deaths in the future. The Court of Appeal on Wednesday overturned a judge’s earlier ruling that an inquiry into the 39 deaths caused by a collision between two ferries in the waters off Lamma Island on October 1, 2012, was not needed. Chief Judge of the High Court Jeremy Poon Shiu-chor... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3228953/hong-kong-court-orders-coroners-inquest-2012-lamma-ferry-crash-killed-39-people-overturning-earlier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3228953/hong-kong-court-orders-coroners-inquest-2012-lamma-ferry-crash-killed-39-people-overturning-earlier?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jul 2023 05:27:01 +0000 The scheme of control agreements, signed between the government and the city’s two power companies, have been instrumental in Hong Kong’s efforts to stabilise energy prices and improve air quality. To compare electricity price trends, London has experienced a staggering 103 per cent increase over the past two years, while Singapore has witnessed a 41 per cent rise. In contrast, Hong Kong has maintained relatively stable energy prices. Since the 1990s, the power sector has also made significant... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3221697/reviewing-power-deals-hong-kong-can-seize-chance-cut-emissions-limit-climate-impact?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3221697/reviewing-power-deals-hong-kong-can-seize-chance-cut-emissions-limit-climate-impact?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 May 2023 00:15:16 +0000 A major electricity supplier has blamed a 48-minute power outage that affected 44,000 households on Hong Kong Island last month on the insufficient alertness of staff and poor cable labelling. HK Electric on Monday presented the findings of its final report into the blackout, and confirmed it was caused by a short circuit triggered by an accidental connection to a spare cable during refurbishment at a switching station at Cyberport in Pok Fu Lam. The company said about 44,000 households were... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3220653/hk-electric-blames-major-hong-kong-island-blackout-staff-lacking-alertness-poor-cable-labelling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3220653/hk-electric-blames-major-hong-kong-island-blackout-staff-lacking-alertness-poor-cable-labelling?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 May 2023 15:30:38 +0000 Ordinary Hong Kong residents were mostly relegated to the political peripheral in the high-profile visit by Xia Baolong, director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office and former vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. This was a little unfortunate. During his visit, Xia met what the government press office called “district personalities” and enjoyed yum cha in Kowloon Bay. He also chatted with senior citizens during a tour of an elderly... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3217871/government-efficiency-good-hong-kong-peoples-concerns-must-not-be-ignored?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3217871/government-efficiency-good-hong-kong-peoples-concerns-must-not-be-ignored?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Apr 2023 06:30:14 +0000 Hong Kong’s environment minister has urged the electricity firm involved in an early morning outage on Wednesday to return any reward earned for swiftly restoring power after it was suggested that human error had caused the blackout. Following calls for a review Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan on Friday also conceded that the incident had exposed that the reward mechanism for promptly restoring power was “inappropriate”. HK Electric on Thursday night admitted the 48-minute... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3217830/hong-kong-energy-firms-should-adopt-smart-technology-prevent-future-power-blackouts-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3217830/hong-kong-energy-firms-should-adopt-smart-technology-prevent-future-power-blackouts-government?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Apr 2023 04:23:48 +0000 HK Electric maintenance staff sparked a major power outage that caused blackouts across Hong Kong, the company has admitted. The firm said late on Thursday that staff members at a switching station had connected a backup cable, last used more than 10 years ago, by mistake in the early hours of Wednesday and caused the outages. “This activated an automatic protection mechanism and affected the electricity supply,” Francis Cheng Cho-ying, the HK Electric operations director, explained. Ip... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3217787/major-hong-kong-power-cut-caused-use-10-year-old-back-cable-hk-electric-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3217787/major-hong-kong-power-cut-caused-use-10-year-old-back-cable-hk-electric-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Apr 2023 17:02:32 +0000