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Compulsory power usage cut implemented for 1st time in 37 yrs

39 Comments

In order to alleviate a power shortage this summer, the government on Friday implemented a compulsory power usage cut of 15% for large-scale users within Tokyo Electric Power Co and Tohoku Electric Power Co service areas for the first time in 37 years. Subject to the mandatory restrictions, which run from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m, are customers who conclude electricity supply-demand contracts directly with TEPCO and Tohoku EPCO whose power usage exceeds 500 kilowatts. Any intentional violations of these restrictions may result in a fine of up to 1 million yen, said government officials.

The government will issue an impending power supply alert if it foresees that the power supply demand ratio will exceed 97%. If demand looks like exceeding 99%, planned blackouts -- which were originally planned but later shelved -- will be put into effect.

Many manufacturers, including automakers, have already changed their production schedules from weekdays to weekends to deal with the new policy.

Movements to encourage cutbacks in electricity usage in households will also start. TEPCO and Tohoku Electric customers who register with the power conservation site of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) can view their household's energy consumption for the months of July through September of last year. If households succeed in reducing their energy consumption by 15%, they will be eligible to participate in a drawing to win prizes such as TVs and digital cameras.

TEPCO started an electricity forecast webpage on Friday to help encourage energy conservation. The restrictions will last until Sept 22.

© Compiled from news reports

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

39 Comments
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A fine of upto 1 million yen... seriously? for a company that is nothing... imagine the lost productivity for engineering companies and manufacturing companies.... seems easier to pay the "power" tax of 1 million yen... I wonder if that is per day or just once?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Well, what is the URL of the webpage?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Oooohhh! I wonder if those tower mansions have generators to keep the elevators running during a power cut.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How about a 2-3 week holiday for the whole of Japan in July-August to include Obon?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

they will be eligible to participate in a raffle to win prizes such as TVs and digital cameras.

Now that is interesting , When did the law change that allows anyone to raffle anything . As far as I'm aware "Raffle" comes under the Gaming licenses laws and is forbidden .

Moderator: Raffle was not quite accurate. It is more like a drawing.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wait, giving TVs as a reward for not using electricity? Isn't that like rewarding abstinence with condoms?

11 ( +11 / -0 )

There's always a weird system of punishment here, if any is doled out at all. Instead of a 1-million yen fine, which would be bird feed for a lot of companies, how about threatening to cut off their contract for the summer period? And giving TVs out to people who don't use -- or use less -- electricity? So if they don't care about getting a TV it's motivation to use power anyway.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

haran3375.

Sure lets shut down Japan for 2-3weeks and what will people do for entertainment during that period for entertainment? They will look for entertainment outside their homes but all is shutdown = bugger.

Your suggestion only shifts power-consumption from one place(homes) to others.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

A small fine is probably adequate, smith, as it comes with naming and shaming (a much bigger penalty).

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Zenny 11

Well the smart ones would at the beach cooling off. Isn't that what the continental Europeans do? They take 2 weeks holiday in the summer and are much better off for it too. The alternative is stay at work and boil to death etc

0 ( +0 / -0 )

haran3375.

Good idea just a teenie snag.

Japanese don't get/take much leave, even back home a trainee gets the minimum of 5 weeks/years and he is required to take at least one holiday of 2-weeks plus.

Try that in japan or even the states and .....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If households succeed in reducing their energy consumption by 15%, they will be eligible to participate in a drawing to win prizes such as TVs and digital cameras.

Which run on Tepco power... which we cant use because we are power saving? Infinite loop error....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Compulsory power usage cut implemented for first time in 37 years

Wait a minute... Is this headline saying that compulsory power usage will be cut, and such power usage will now be voluntary? Or is is that there will be compulsory cuts to power usage... Please clarify.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This is badly needed. Electricity has been operating under a laissez-faire deal for far too long. But there should be a fine for households too. My only complaint is that during the winter, my biggest need for electricity is heat tape to keep the pipes from freezing.

But fact is that people will not reduce their consumption voluntarily. In this area, the rod must be used.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Moderator: The word "cut" is used here as a noun.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

there should be a fine for households too

There is, sort of. Look on your monthly bill and you'll see that the more you use, the more you pay per unit. It goes up in three stages.

Our consumption was down 15% last month, 25% this month. Maybe I'm in with a chance for that new telly. Or a new camera would be nice. Best of all would be a new dishwasher - it was our old one going on the blink last year that upped our lekky bills.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I don't know the ratio of kerosene stove users to electric heater users but I wonder if we'll see something similar in the winter.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

meanwhile our Uni has set a 30% power usage cut. We'll end up with sick students passing out

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If households succeed in reducing their energy consumption by 15%, they will be eligible to participate in a drawing to win prizes such as TVs and digital cameras.

No amount of "prizes" will encourage me to keep the aircon off, it is simply taking your life into your hands...

I got a better idea. Discount airline tickets now, to citizens and legal residents, to escape this hell-hole.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Now if our native amigos here on the J islands had any real BRAINS they would implement DAY LIGHT SAVINGS TIME to the extreme of putting the standard Japan time ahead by 2 HOURS, because, we are wasting so much sunlight, the bloody sun is already out and shining here in Japan by 3 am!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I expect my next bill to be higher than the last due to the ac on almost all the time lately. I work from home and i and i will not work in uncomfortable conditions. Even after paying large electricity bills for keeping cool i would be better off than sweating all day being unable to get much work done, probably the same for many companies.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Life is good in Kyushu.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Not sure how I can drop my electricity bill further. Unless I cut the Fiber connection and switch the PC & TV off too(not going to happen). Get my cable via the Net(so no box).

Already dropped my bill by 30+% over the last 2 months, granted will be less now as we are using 2 small fans at times.

Said that don't expect next months electricity bill to exceed 3.500yen and we are doing fine.

We did same last year and are prepared. Got an air-con(dust-catcher).

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I expect my next bill to be higher than the last

It's normal for electricity use to go up in summer. People aren't being asked to cut their usage compared to last month or the month before, but compared to the same month last year. (That's why the METI page shows you last year's figures). The monthly bill also reminds you how many kWh you used in the same month last year. If you used the aircon last year, and you use it again this year, your consumption will be about the same, regardless of how much or how little you used last month when you didn't need the aircon.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Saw a program on NHK last night that showed California residents using 1/2 electricity of Japanese consumers while US consumers use about twice the electricity of J consumers. No penalties involved. California used a cash bonus to consumers who used less. Rod? The carrot was a successful strategy there.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

If households succeed in reducing their energy consumption by 15%, they will be eligible to participate in a drawing to win prizes such as TVs and digital cameras.

This is a joke. If I win, give me the equivalent in Yen.

Day light savings time would be a plus, but rather than an hour difference like in the states, try 2 hours. Gets annoying to start hearing the birds chirping at 3:30 am.

I have taken the electrical problem into my own hands. My bills will be ¥0 for June and July as I am in Florida surfing.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

No, your bills will not be zero, as you still have to pay for the right to be connected.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This is scandalous: your average J. family, company workers and Tohoku evacuees sweating it out while luxury and high-end boutiques dump frigid air out their front entrances. Have a look:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2011/06/tokyos-luxury-retailers

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Interesting.

In Osaka (and possibly the rest of Japan) they have encouraged /requested medium to large businesses to aim to cut power by 15%, as well as home owners. I bet its to win a prize. . . there is no way our office manager would give a crap unless it was for a prize.

On a side note though, I have heard that it uses much more energy to turn your air con on and off again that it does to leave it running on low for 6 hours.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Read the same story at the economist, littlebird, and was reminded how the rich may preach about saving the environment and so on, but in the long run they could care less. There stores should be boycotted until they make the same sacrifices that many in Japan are making. Maybe there should be a "Wall of Shame" listing shops and companies that continue to wantonly waste energy?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I am reposting the following listed below to get more support and understanding from you guys.

I have a relative with ALS living in Tokyo who is connected to a ventilater for breathing.

He has a backup generator in case of outage up to 2 hrs.

There are 19,000 people with disability living in Tokyo who are connected to breathing ventilaters. Most of them have no backup generators as they are not available in this unexpected circumstance. Do you want to see them die?

They are all on your mercy to survive.

I understand everyone needs to suffer a lot and sweat.

But please think about these helpless people and conserve energy as much as you can. Give mercy on them, so they can survive.

Thank you for listening to me. I am speaking on behalf of these who cannot talk to you here.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@himehentai Kyuden did request people to reduce power consumption by 15% but they announced a few days ago that they have brought all their reserve generating capacity on line and now there is no need to worry about cutting consumption.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@globalwatcher wow that sounds terrible! oh my god. I have no words for that. What is the government doing for this!!??

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@globalwatcher wow that sounds terrible! oh my god. I have no words for that. What is the government doing for this!!??

NOTHING!! While I was there in Japan to help , Tokyo was trying to improve the communication system notifying them the outage in advance so they can prepare. Everything failed as far as I understood.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

chewitup wrote:

This is badly needed. Electricity has been operating under a laissez-faire deal for far too long

It has? Can you furnish any proof for this? Talking out of your cowboy hat again? If "laissez-faire" were the case I would be allowed to generate my own electricity (by whatever means), consume as much as I like and even sell it, in direct competition with taxpayer-funded gov't - backed corporations,local and federal.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I've looked through the METI webpage, but can't for the life of me find a link to register to be eligible for the drawing. Can someone link to it? I'm trying to cut power anyways to save money, might as well get a new tv for my troubles!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Asking people to cut by a percentage is ridiculous. That means that extravagant wasteful people can just go back to normal use, whereas people who were already using as little electricity as possible will really be in a dire situation.

Rather, some kind of rationing based on kilowatt-hours per person would have been better.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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