Fire is the risk homeowners think about least and should think about more. According to the Singapore Civil Defence Force, there were 1,051 residential fires in 2025, up 8.6% from 968 the year before. The two leading causes, year after year, are unattended cooking and electrical faults.
Cooking is a habit. Electrical safety, by contrast, is largely designed in during renovation — which means a careful renovation genuinely lowers your risk for years afterward.
Where electrical fires start
SCDF's analysis of electrical fires points repeatedly to the same causes: faults in electrical wiring, faults in electrical appliances, and the overloading of electrical sockets. In 2024 there were 299 residential fires of electrical origin. These are not freak events; they are the predictable result of too much load on too little wiring.
The renovation decisions that matter
Rewiring an older flat
A flat wired decades ago was built for a household with a fraction of today's connected load — before the induction hob, the instant water heater, the dryer, and a socket in every corner for devices. If you are renovating an older resale flat, having the electrical system assessed, and rewired where needed, is one of the highest-value safety decisions you can make. Chasing new wiring into walls is disruptive and therefore far cheaper to do during renovation than afterward.
Use a Licensed Electrical Worker
Electrical work in Singapore must be carried out by a Licensed Electrical Worker licensed by the Energy Market Authority. This is a safety requirement, not a preference — unlicensed electrical work is exactly the kind of fault that appears in SCDF's statistics. Ask to see the licence, and keep a copy.
Plan enough circuits and sockets
Overloaded sockets and daisy-chained extension leads cause fires. The fix is boring and effective: design enough dedicated circuits and enough fixed socket outlets, in the right places, so that nobody needs to run a four-way adaptor off a four-way adaptor. High-draw appliances — the hob, the water heater, the oven, the aircon — should each sit on an appropriately rated circuit.
Specify to standard
Household appliances sold in Singapore that are classed as Controlled Goods must carry the SAFETY Mark or be registered with the Consumer Product Safety Office. If you are buying appliances from overseas sellers to save money, this is one of the real risks: a non-compliant appliance, or one rewired for a different voltage by cheap workmanship, is a fire waiting to happen.
The cheap habits that help
Alongside the wiring, the familiar advice holds: never leave cooking unattended, keep the kitchen hob clear of anything flammable, do not overload sockets, and keep escape routes and the household's smoke detector clear and working. The design decisions reduce the odds; the habits catch what the design cannot.
Sources
Figures in this article were checked in October 2026 against the pages below. Schemes, rules and rates change — please confirm the current position before relying on them.
This is general information about renovating in Singapore, not legal advice. GoDesign is not a law firm. For a dispute or anything turning on your specific circumstances, consult a qualified practitioner.