Tokyo: The Japanese government plans to take measures to reduce the burden of gas and electricity bills and gasoline costs by a total of around 45,000 yen per household in January-September next year, it was learned Wednesday.

The measures will be included in the government’s forthcoming comprehensive economic package, at a time when energy prices are rising due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the yen’s depreciation.

The government aims to help lower the average family’s monthly gas and electricity bills by around 900 yen and 2,800 yen, respectively.

The government will provide aid for power companies to cut their household electricity rates by 7 yen per kilowatt-hour, in order to offset price hikes expected for next spring and later.

This support measure will be reduced from September to avoid hampering decarbonization efforts.

The government will also provide aid to lower electricity rates for companies with high-voltage contracts by 3.5 yen per kilowatt-hour.

It will allow consumers to see in monthly bills how much electricity rates were curbed through these support measures.

City gas rates will be cut by 30 yen per cubic meter for households and companies with an annual contract of less than 10 million cubic meters.

Meanwhile, the government’s gasoline subsidies are currently set to be terminated at the end of December, but it will continue to provide the subsidies in January and after, although it plans to lower the upper limit on the subsidies.

Japan’s 10 major electricity suppliers have already raised their rates to the maximum extent allowed under the country’s rate adjustment system in which higher fuel costs can be passed on to bills.

According to Tokyo Gas Co., gas rates in November are expected to rise 30 pct from a year before.

JIJI Press