The electricity bill for a standard household in the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings service area for August is expected to fall by ¥1,061 from the previous month to ¥7,812, thanks to the resumption of a subsidy program.
Electricity bills in other areas, as well as city gas bills, are also expected to drop significantly.
The government introduced the subsidy program in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and ended it in May this year. As the cost of living has remained high, however, it has decided to resume the program for three months starting August.
The resumption of the program will have “a quick effect in helping people survive the extreme summer heat,” industry minister Ken Saito has said.
The program will provide ¥4 per kilowatt-hour in August and September and ¥2.5 in October. According to TEPCO, the monthly power consumption of a standard household is estimated at 260 kilowatt-hours. In this case, the subsidies will push down the household’s bill for August by ¥1,040.
For city gas bills, the program will provide ¥17.5 yen per cubic meter in August and September and ¥10 yen in October. The August bill for a standard household in the Tokyo Gas area is expected to fall by ¥552 to ¥5,364.