The electricity prices for June of the 10 major power companies are the highest in the last five years that can be compared.
Due to the tightening situation in Ukraine, the price of LNG = liquefied natural gas, which is the fuel for thermal power generation, is soaring, and it is expected that the price will remain high in the future.
Price increase in 5 out of 10 companies
According to major electric power companies, electricity prices for June will increase in 5 out of 10 companies.
The electricity prices of the 10 companies are the highest in the past five years, mainly due to the soaring prices of LNG = liquefied natural gas and coal, which are the fuels for thermal power generation, against the backdrop of the tightening situation in Ukraine. It will be a standard.
Of these, Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc. has the largest increase in price compared to May, and the electricity bill for households with average usage will increase by 85 yen to 8464 yen.
In addition, TEPCO increased by 60 yen to 8565 yen, and Chubu Electric Power increased by 42 yen to 8256 yen.
Electricity charges have an upper limit that allows the increase in fuel prices to be passed on to retail prices so that the burden on users does not become too great.
So far, Hokuriku Electric Power, Kansai Electric Power, Chugoku Electric Power, Shikoku Electric Power, and Okinawa Electric Power have reached the upper limit, but from June, Tohoku Electric Power has also reached this upper limit.
In addition, gas prices are rising at all four major companies, Toho Gas, Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, and Saibu Gas.
Company-wide prices have risen for 10 consecutive months, and as fuel prices remain high, the burden on households is increasing.
Price increase at cleaning shops in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
Soaring crude oil prices and rising electricity and gas prices due to this.
Its impact is spreading to various consumption sites.
A cleaning shop in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo needs a lot of electricity and gas to use irons and presses, and Fumiaki Kobayashi, who runs the shop, realized the burden of electricity and gas from around last winter. It is said that there is.
Last month, the electricity and gas bills totaled about 130,000 yen, which was about 30,000 yen higher than the same month last year.
In addition, the purchase price of plastic hangers, clothing covers, solvents used for dry cleaning, etc. has also risen due to the soaring crude oil prices.
In addition, this store also offers a service to deliver finished clothing by car, which is a burden for soaring gasoline prices.
Every day, after the store is closed, we try to keep costs down as much as possible by turning off the breaker, but we had to raise the cleaning fee last month because that was not enough.
This is the first time in 10 years that the price has been raised, for example, the price has been raised by 22 yen per shirt and 55 yen per trouser.
Fumiaki Kobayashi, who runs a dry cleaner, said, "We have made efforts not to impose a burden on our customers, but it is an unavoidable decision. I haven't realized the effect of the measures yet, but I have no choice but to do my best. "
The public bath in Toshima-ku, Tokyo
Public baths that require a large amount of hot water are greatly affected by soaring gas prices.
Since the spread of the new coronavirus infection, public baths in Toshima-ku, Tokyo have begun to devise ways to replace hot water by adding hot water little by little, regardless of whether there are customers or not, from the perspective of preventing infection.
As a result, the amount of hot water required increased, and the gas price began to rise, so the gas bill in February was about 640,000 yen, about 260,000 yen higher than the same month last year.
Before the opening of business, we take all possible measures such as covering hot water with a sheet for heat insulation, but it is not easy to save gas bills.
The bathing fee for public baths is decided by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and cannot be raised at the discretion of each management.
In addition, due to the influence of the new coronavirus, the number of customers who have been far away has not completely returned, and the soaring gas prices are heavy.
Mr. Yukihiko Yanagisawa, who runs a public bath, said, "While I want you to raise the bathing fee, it is complicated because I want you to feel free to use the public bath. I want you to return to the state of. "
The confectionery sales company in Sumida-ku, Tokyo
The rise in electricity and gas prices has had a major impact on the management of small and medium-sized enterprises.
The confectionery sales company in Sumida-ku, Tokyo believes that the prices of all products will have to be raised by about 10% from next month because the prices of raw materials are soaring.
A rice cracker sales company founded in 1897 in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, manufactures rice crackers and okaki at its factory in Yachiyo City, Chiba Prefecture.
The effects of the new corona have been prolonged, and the number of customers at stores has not returned, and sales have not recovered to the previous level. ..
Of these, gas prices have more than doubled compared to April, partly due to the situation in Ukraine and the depreciation of the yen.
Also, the amount of electricity billed has remained 30% to 60% higher than the same period last year, even though the production volume has not changed significantly.
The company is trying to save money by turning off lighting fixtures diligently, but due to the soaring prices of all raw materials such as oil, seasonings, and films used for packaging, all of the approximately 100 types of products will be available from next month. I think we have to raise the price by about 10%.
Masanori Kobayashi, chairman of "Higashi Hail Honpo," said, "I'm worried about how much electricity and gas costs will rise, and I think the situation surrounding small and medium-sized enterprises will continue to be severe due to price increases for various things. We would like to work as one to make people feel more satisfied than the price increase. "