Japan calls for power saving from Tokyo households, industries during summer

I'm going to set my AC on 21 degrees as usual.

Not planning to risk heatstroke or my health because of their incompetence. They had enough time to prepare.

But the situation is even worse then last summer as energy prices are going up from this move there will be 30-40% hike.

The prices are enough to make people thinks twice before using the AC, which unfortunately will have the effect of rising the risks of people suffering serious health consequences during the summer, instead of "power savings" the government should be promoting responsible and appropiate use of electricity, even if that means increasing the use for some people.

The Japanese government is calling for households and industries around Tokyo to save electricity in July and August 

Japan, Inc. have known for decades that the country needed to do something about powering vehicles and generating electricity, but instead of shifting to alternative forms of energy they stuck with burning huge amounts of fossil fuels, making the country dependent on oil producing nations, while also relying on nuclear powe. So the nation is stuck today because Japan, Inc. have not been willing or able to make changes. Long, long passed time to elect politicians not controlled by Japan, Inc. Also long passed time for individuals to find more ways to reduce their dependence on institutions that control the generation and distribution of electricity. Time for the government to stop subsidizing big energy corporations and instead help individuals become less dependent on energy institutions.

I'm investing in solar/wind and conserving energy but not because of the Japanese government incompetence. I'm doing it because I don't want to pay TEPCO any more than I have to going forward.

No one needs AC.

Japanese thrived even without A/C.

A/C, contrary to heating, is adding heat to the area where you live (outside) thus making more issues about climate change.

Apply meaningful behaviour : work outside peaking temperatures hours, wet your body, no need of hot water in ofuro, protect from sunlight you and your place, go to green areas, wear light color clothing, etc.

@ Larr Flint

Above a temperature difference around 10°C between the inside and outside, your body cope badly to adapt .That is why setting around 26°C is best practice for both your purse AND your health when it is really hot.

So much time to improve the situation, but they did nothing.

No one needs AC.

Japanese thrived even without A/C.

Yeah, when homes were built of wood, there was no asphalt or concrete, and fires burned everything to the ground every couple of decades, there were no cars, planes, trains or busses, and people didnt have to travel an hour or two one way just to get to their jobs.

Get with the program, we are in 2023, not 1023!

Oh patients in hospitals NEED a/c to survive, so do elderly, particularly in cities, kids in schools, where temps can rise above 40C with no breeze what so ever.

Speak for yourself and not for everyone! It's a childish and ignorant sounding comment at best!

So much time to improve the situation, but they did nothing.

This is a fact, but its the government 100% to blame, as they always counted on the reactors to start back up sooner, and never expected to have to increase use of fossil fuels for electricity.

Let’s use this opportunity to face and revisit electricity usage. We can reduce electricity bills, become environmentally friendly, and accelerate alternative power supply developments.

January until September the government is paying 20% of monthly power bills and also city gas.

No, thank you.

Industries are the real expenders, not me.

wallace

Today 07:55 am JST

January until September the government is paying 20% of monthly power bills and also city gas.

How can I see this on my monthly statement??? If it's not cleary shown on our statements how do we know it's really true? Do we just have to believe NHK, no thanks.

While I agree the government has been completely at fault for this situation, I will say that I have seen a big change at least around where I live. The number of solar panel farms built is amazing, along with huge wind turbines. Unfortunately it is not enough and not stable enough to make up for the lost electricity made by the idled nuclear reactors. I say, start a few of the newer reactors up again, until the situation is under control. Don't risk elderly and vulnerable people's health for nothing.

I'm going to set my AC on 21 degrees as usual.

Not planning to risk heatstroke or my health 

Soft

JDoe

   wallace

   January until September the government is paying 20% of monthly power bills and also city gas.

> How can I see this on my monthly statement??? If it's not cleary shown on our statements how do we know it's really true? Do we just have to believe NHK, no thanks.

Everyone receives a monthly meter reading and then a monthly charge. All items are listed on that including the 20% deduction.

My KEPCO bills show it. But we have bottled gas so we don't get that one.

The 119 call will be overload since many of elders just can no stand the heat, cooling really matters.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/07/25/national/science-health/japan-endures-record-heat-wave-large-population-elderly-highest-risk/

Insulation and new air conditioning units will save a lot more money than this.

Also letting people work remotely all summer will help people control their location and avoid those long walks to the station in the heat.

No one needs AC.

That’s your personal opinion.

Japanese thrived even without A/C.

Now they have them and most use it, and why is that? Because it gets hot! Nowadays, we have choices, if the government thought we didn’t need A/C they wouldn’t build them. We are not living in the Meiji period.

A/C, contrary to heating, is adding heat to the area where you live (outside) thus making more issues about climate change.

Ok

Apply meaningful behaviour : work outside peaking temperatures hours, wet your body, no need of hot water in ofuro, protect from sunlight you and your place, go to green areas, wear light color clothing, etc.

Then you should do that if that’s your choice.

Above a temperature difference around 10°C between the inside and outside, your body cope badly to adapt .That is why setting around 26°C is best practice for both your purse AND your health when it is really hot

You do what you think is best for you and your body, some people can handle the heat better than others I go as low as I can 19 or 21°C that’s for me and my body a comfortable setting. I pay the bills and I don’t like being hot at all, I don’t care what other people do, their right and their choice, but I’m not going to sacrifice my health, body hygiene for being politically climate correct. You may not need A/C but I do. Some people don’t care about hygiene, or if they are a little funky, I deeply care about that. We all have our own issues that we are concerned about, what is important to one person my not be important to another. You do you and I’ll do me.

Russia is selling some bargain oil and gas so why not buy directly from them instead of paying a huge premium by buying the very same oil and gas via India?

And… how about stop pruning big leafy trees back to match sticks?

The surface of a shaded sidewalk is under 30c… they heat up to 60c or so in the sun.

shade=cooling. But that is kind of free I guess… so no one gets paid so can’t have that.

Japan does not buy oil or gas from India. Russian oil imports are 9%.

We use the humidifier setting more and small electric fans. Open all the windows for a sea breeze.

I suggest japan become a first world country.

> wallaceToday  08:17 am JST

Everyone receives a monthly meter reading and then a monthly charge. All items are listed on that including the 20% deduction.

My KEPCO bills show it. But we have bottled gas so we don't get that one.

Thanks Wallace but I just checked both of my monthly statements and there is absolutely no mention of a supposed '20% subsidy'.

Sorry, but I cant believe or take it seriously just because of gov influenced media proclaims 'The JGov is Helping!'.

JDoe

    wallaceToday 08:17 am JST

>    Everyone receives a monthly meter reading and then a monthly charge. All items are listed on that including the 20% deduction.

>    My KEPCO bills show it. But we have bottled gas so we don't get that one.

> Thanks Wallace but I just checked both of my monthly statements and there is absolutely no mention of a supposed '20% subsidy'.

> Sorry, but I cant believe or take it seriously just because of gov influenced media proclaims 'The JGov is Helping!'.

Who is your electric company?

It may not be exactly 20% because the subsidy is calculated at ¥7 kWh. We keep all of the bills so we can compare the months with the previous year.

Since January our power bills have been about 20% less.

https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h01550/

Hahahaha! My AC will be set to 21c, just like the executives at these companies and the politicians.

JDoe

what is the cost of kWh indicated on your bill? What is the kWh cost of the total bill divided by the total kWh?

wallaceToday  09:15 am JST

JDoe

what is the cost of kWh indicated on your bill? What is the kWh cost of the total bill divided by the total kWh?

I've tracked all my bills in a spreadsheet for the last 4 years. The only reduction/trend I see is when I/we use less energy and when I recently invested in solar equipment, made a solar oven, and started cooking outside on my BBQ.

Why should I/we have to do the math to justify whether or not the Gov is doing what it says it will do? It should be clearly stated... '20% GOV subsidy' on each and every statement. Its not... so I and prob many others are skeptical.

This conversation is kind off topic & prob will be deleted so I wont respond any further.

Jonathan PrinToday  07:16 am JST

No one needs AC.

Japanese thrived even without A/C.

People survived, but air conditioning has provided one of the greatest improvements in productivity.

Entire cities would still be uninhabited without air conditioning. And then there's the offshoot, refrigeration...

JDoe

it was an easy question to answer since you said you were holding your electric bill.

I suggest japan become a first world country.

When will people stop acting like an article about Tokyo means ALL Japan?

Hahahaha! My AC will be set to 21c, just like the executives at these companies and the politicians.

Yup, don't blame them, crank it up!

Black Umbrellas won't help either!? Here we go again if Japan wants to save energy how about outlawing the construction of BLACK homes, high rise building, and concreting every square meter of the city.

As it gets progressively hotter and hotter each year, they ask us to turn down the aircon even more. I’m sorry but Coolbiz, which is basically what everyone was already doing anyway, just doesn’t cut it. Why not ask people to turn off unnecessary lighting or something for example. It’s always the aircon.

During the summer we sleep on ice pillows. So nice.

I am not sure that we should consider Japan as a developed country at this point.

Cheap gas from Russia and mandatory solar panels…problem solved. But we are not allowed cheap Russian gas, and cheap solar panels come from China, so suffer in silence.

Is that a file photo or are people in Tokyo STILL wearing masks?

I know it would be a major headache to set up but why does Japan not have daylight savings like other countries? Its daylight here in Summer around 4am. That could become 5am meaning less electricity used in the evenings.

JDoe

the power subsidy is the fuel-adjusted charge which has been minus every month since Jan. Ours -¥1846 to -Y1432.

They can ask to their heart's content.

Well, they are raising summer electricity rates by 69%, we will be screwed if we turn up the AC and we will be screwed if we don't. So what's the difference?

My utils dropped JPY5,000 last month by cooking on the BBQ in the yard (burn wood cut from my trees), buying 2 small 100w solar panels and small 600wh battery and making a solar oven to cook in my sun room.

If you have sunshine, no need to pay the full/outrageous TEPCO/util fees.

Geothermal energy has been completely neglected and overlooked here !!

A massive source of clean energy untapped.

The LDP are grossly incompetent!!!!

And… how about stop pruning big leafy trees back to match sticks?

The surface of a shaded sidewalk is under 30c… they heat up to 60c or so in the sun.

shade=cooling. But that is kind of free I guess… so no one gets paid so can’t have that.

This annoys me too but I think it's a combination of three factors.

First is public prejudice about fallen leaves being "meiwaku" or "kitanai". This can be a huge headache for anyone wanting deciduous trees in an urban garden. Expect neighbours to complain.

Second is public prejudice about street trees housing mosquitos. There may or may not be something in this, I know little about mosquitos. Again, neighbours will often moan about this.

Third is inappropriate choice of tree. It is common to see sycamores (look for pink, white, and grey blotchy bark and sugar maple (Canadian flag) shaped leaves) as in Paris or London, but they are massive trees that only work on extremely wide streets like the Champs Elysees and along the Thames. You can see full size unbutchered sycamores in the Shinjuku Gyoen park. They are magnificent huge trees. You get less shade off them, but Japanese narrow streets need narrower, more upright trees, like the native katsura tree.

I'm a fan of air con, but if you need it set at 21C, you need better windows and/or more insulation.

Above a temperature difference around 10°C between the inside and outside, your body cope badly to adapt .That is why setting around 26°C is best practice for both your purse AND your health when it is really hot.

26C is too low. The temperatures outside can reach 40C, and that is a 14C difference. If you use an aircon, your body will not adapt to the season, keeping an excessive amount of body fat as isolation. That will make it even more painful when going outside into the 40C sun. Furthermore, the aircon screws up your respiratory system. Who want dry and crispy lungs?

These calls for "power savings" started back in 2011 after the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, because they stoped all nuclear power plants, and now, more than 10 years after than they continue to do the same, because in these 10 years they did nothing long term to solve that problem.

Either they should have just restarted all nuclear plants, or just start to plan to future and start to build new types of power plants in order to solve the problem, but instead, Japan being Japan, they continued to say they will restart the power plants without actually doing it, and they just started to buy more and more gasoline, which at this point in time became a horrible short term solution turned into a long term non-solution.

Geothermal energy has been completely neglected and overlooked here !!

it was considered but the very strong onsen lobby groups ruled it out. NZ, similar geography to japan, gets around 30% of energy from this source.

Jonathan PrinToday  07:16 am JST

No one needs AC.

Japanese thrived even without A/C.

Maybe if you live at the top of Mt Fuji!

Not sure where you live but if it is in a largeJapanese city like Tokyo I do not think it is possible theses days . In particular sleeping soundly is impossible. Maybe in the country side it is possible but a very large number of people live in large cities in Japan.

When will people stop acting like an article about Tokyo means ALL Japan?

Sadly this happens so often here. Tokyo-centric reporting and everywhere else doesnt matter. Annoying isnt it?

....not to mention people who sit in their cars, motor idling so they can keep the heater going in the cold or cool months, and the aircon the rest of the time.

people who visit me are astounded that I have no aircon (had it removed when I bought the place).... I point out to them that since I am 50 metres from the beach, and have lots of sliding doors, I have natural aircon. the city? with all that concrete? go for it!

Not me or my family. Just invested in two new ACs last week and a Dyson fan.

So... they've jacked up prices three times over the last couple of years, gotten their demands to have the life of NPPs extended met by government, and yet they STILL can't produce enough power?

You get who you vote for!

keep picking the corrupt nepotism of the LDP and you will keep getting the same result!

Grab some of that lovely cheap Russian fossil fuel and leave the yanks to their proxy war and useless sanctions.

"scorched"? Oh, right. I remember seeing burnt up trees & bushes and all the brown formerly grassy areas....

Yes, please reduce needless electricity consumption (pachinkos, brightly lit electronics stores, EV charging points, government offices, etc).

Unless they want people dying from heatstroke, this ain't happening. Why don't they ask the pachinko parlors to turn off their eyesore neon lights and the supermarkets to turn off their loudspeakers advertising gods only knows what on every shelf instead?

Plant more shade trees and I might think about it.