How do you feel about your recent electricity and gas bills?


When I talked to the people in the town, I heard one after another that they were surprised by the high price... It's


not just the household budget that's suffering.


It is starting to affect familiar places such as universities and public baths.



(Osaka Broadcasting Station Reporter Tamon Fujii Director Kei Takahashi)

University library closes at 17:00

Due to soaring utility costs, Osaka University closed its libraries earlier.



Due to soaring utility bills, we started shortening the opening hours of the library in December last year.



Of these, the General Library on the Toyonaka Campus was open from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., but from February 6, the opening hours were shortened by 6 hours from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

When I asked a university student who used the library,



a third-year male student


said, "Personally, I feel it's inconvenient. The library is a very important place for students.

Second-year female student


: “I don’t think it’s a good idea to have so many people wanting to use the materials.

The electricity bill for the library has been soaring since the spring of the year before last, and last December, when the opening hours were brought forward, it was 7.65 million yen, an increase of 2.1 million yen compared to the previous year.



Osaka University said, "We will continue to consider it so as not to affect it as much as possible."

Gas bill increased by 100,000 yen

On the other hand, gas prices are also rising.



Eiwayu, a public bathhouse in Higashiosaka City that was founded 73 years ago, uses gas to heat the water in the largest of the four bathtubs.

However, the gas bill in December was about 250,000 yen, an increase of about 100,000 yen compared to the previous year.

We have continued to make efforts to save gas costs, such as covering the bathtub with a sheet so that the water does not cool down.



However, since bathing fees for public baths are determined by law for each prefecture, it is not possible to raise the price for each store.

Seiichi Ito, manager of Eiwayu (74)


“In the 54 years I have been running the business, my gas bill has never exceeded 200,000 yen. , This much price increase is equivalent to management, and it



will affect the management." Other sento in Osaka city also had gas prices doubled in December, putting pressure on the management of sento in various places.

How do you feel about electricity and gas bills?

Soaring electricity and gas bills seem to be a source of concern for the townspeople as well.



A couple in their 70s


"January is about twice as much as the previous month, so it's pretty tough. It's extra hard because of pension life."

Woman in her 20s


“Electricity bills have been going up since summer, but I feel it especially this winter. As mentioned above, I am excited so that the electricity bill does not rise.”

Electricity and gas bills in the future?

What will happen to electricity and gas prices in the future?



In fact, as of this month, government subsidies have started as measures to reduce the burden of soaring prices, and prices have fallen from last month.



Let's take the case of Osaka as an example.


It seems that the utility bill for February will be lower than January.



According to Kansai Electric Power Co., the government-approved "regulated rate" for February was 5,677 yen for average households, a decrease of 1,820 yen from the previous month.



Also, according to Osaka Gas, the average household gas bill for February was 6,833 yen, a decrease of 564 yen from the previous month.



The government's burden reduction measure will reduce the price by about 20% from January to August, but the subsidy will be gradually reduced from September.

Power companies apply for price increases

▽ Five companies, Tohoku Electric Power, Hokuriku Electric Power, Chugoku Electric Power, Shikoku Electric Power, and Okinawa Electric Power, have


applied for price increases since April ▽ Tokyo Electric Power and Hokkaido Electric Power have applied for price increases since June this year.



It seems that the situation where you are worried about utility costs will continue in the future.