Tokyo to waive water fees to lower living costs so air-conditioners will be used amid extreme heat
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A festival participant fanning himself in the heat in Tokyo, Japan, on May 18. There are predictions of an extremely hot summer in the city.
PHOTO: AFP
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TOKYO – Basic water utility charges will be waived for Tokyo households for four months this summer, as the metropolitan government hopes this will encourage residents not to avoid using their air-conditioners due to concerns over living expenses, and to stay cool amid increasingly extreme heat
A supplementary budget Bill that includes 36.8 billion yen (S$240 million) to cover the costs will be submitted to a Tokyo metropolitan assembly session in June in Japan.
“Real wages continue to be on the decline due to surging prices and given the predictions of an extremely hot summer, we want to protect Tokyo residents’ lives and daily living,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told reporters on May 20.
According to a report by Asahi Shimbun, Ms Koike said the government was worried that people might avoid using their air-conditioners due to concerns over living expenses.
About 8.2 million households are expected to benefit from the plan, according to the metropolitan government. Basic water charges in Tokyo generally vary from 860 yen to 1,460 yen, depending on the diameter of the household’s water pipe.
Households using a water pipe of 2cm in diameter, the most common type, are expected to be able to save about 5,000 yen from their water bills over the four months, Tokyo officials said.
Metered water usage to be paid on top of the base fee will be charged as usual. KYODO NEWS
