Issue #42: What’s Happening This Week? Higher Utility Bills, Singapore’s Population Hits 6.11M & DeCard’s Premium Web3 Card

Ever notice how bills seem to have a way of showing up just when you’ve decided to treat yourself? This week, households are getting the news that gas and electricity tariffs will inch up again, just in time for the last quarter of the year. Yay.

Meanwhile, Singapore has quietly slipped past the 6.1 million population mark, foodpanda and TADA have decided to become besties, and a new Web3 credit card is promising to turn stablecoins into lounge passes and concierge calls.

Here are 6 stories you’ll want on your radar this week. Let’s dive in.

Psst, missed last week’s issue? View all past editions of What’s Happening This Week? to catch up.

[ms-toc title=”Issue #42: What’s Happening This Week?”]

Households to pay higher gas and electricity tariffs

From 1 Oct to 31 Dec 2025, electricity and gas bills will increase due to rising fuel costs.

• Electricity tariffs: Up S$0.08 per kWh (+0.3% from last quarter)
• Gas tariffs: Up S$0.07 per kWh
• Impact: A 4-room HDB household can expect to pay about S$0.31 more per month (before GST)

SP Group (electricity) and City Energy (gas) stated that the increases follow quarterly reviews set by the Energy Market Authority.

ALSO READ: Compare 7 Best Electricity Price Plans: Open Electricity Market (2025)

Foodpanda and TADA team up for cross-app savings

Foodpanda Singapore has partnered with ride-hailing platform TADA to give pandapro subscribers and TADA users exclusive savings and rewards. Pandapro claims to be the first subscription in Singapore to bundle discounts across food delivery, groceries, and rides.

Key perks at a glance

DeCard & Visa launch Luminaries, a premium Web3 credit card

DeCard by DCS has unveiled DeCard Luminaries, a premium Visa card designed for Web3 professionals and high-net-worth individuals.

What’s new:

• Spend directly from stablecoin balances (USDT, USDC)
• Global acceptance at 150M+ Visa merchants
• Up to 10% cashback (capped at US$200/month)
• Lifestyle perks: concierge service, 2 free lounge visits, curated events, and travel accident insurance up to US$1M
• Annual membership fee: US$388

The launch comes as the global stablecoin market doubles to approximately US$255 billion over the past 2 years, with growing regulatory clarity in the US and Europe.

This is another step in turning crypto assets into mainstream spending power, especially for a premium audience.

Singapore’s population hits 6.11 million

Singapore’s population reached 6.11 million as of Jun 2025, the highest on record, according to the latest Population in Brief report. That’s a 1.2% increase from last year, when the city-state crossed the 6 million mark for the first time.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Residents: 4.2M total (3.66M citizens, 0.54M PRs)
• Citizen growth: +0.7% year-on-year (steady, but modest)
• PRs: Flat at 540,000
• Non-residents: 1.91M, up 2.7% from 1.86M last year

The rise in non-residents came mainly from work permit holders in construction and migrant domestic workers, reflecting Singapore’s ongoing demand for labour in infrastructure and caregiving. Key projects like Changi Airport Terminal 5 and accelerated housing supply are fuelling this demand.

Put simply, Singapore is growing again, but the conversation is shifting from whether the city-state can attract people to how it manages the balance between economic needs and social sustainability.

Singapore consolidates position as hub for entrepreneurial wealth

The HSBC Global Entrepreneurial Wealth Report 2025 has crowned Singapore the world’s top destination for entrepreneurial wealth and relocation, ahead of the UK and Switzerland.

Key findings:

• Top choice for entrepreneurs moving wealth: 15% chose Singapore (vs. 11% UK, 11% Switzerland)
• Most popular relocation spot: 12% globally
• Global reach: 63% of Singapore entrepreneurs live across multiple markets (above 56% global average)
• 97% of local entrepreneurs are positive about their business outlook, with AI flagged as a key growth driver

Pick up an AI skill in just an hour

AI may be moving at lightning speed, but picking up practical skills doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

General Assembly is running its free “Skills Move Faster” series this October: beginner-friendly online sessions designed to help anyone gain job-ready AI skills in under an hour.

Topics include:

• Prompt writing basics
• Smarter job searching with AI
• Boosting productivity and marketing
• Making AI less intimidating

With AI cited by 97% of entrepreneurs in HSBC’s wealth report as a growth driver, these free classes could be a low-barrier way to future-proof your career.

That’s it for this week! Stay tuned for next week’s What’s Happening This Week to keep up with the latest in finance, business, and beyond. 

This article was first drafted with the help of AI and later reviewed and refined by the author.

About the author

Valerie Wong has been writing outside her diary for over a decade, covering everything from fashion to science. Armed with a sociology degree and a short attention span, she trying to turn money talk into something people might actually stay awake for. Off the clock, she’s probably bopping to a beat somewhere.