The core idea: one measured number drives the bill
Every month, or every other month, your meter is read. The word is kenshin (検針), literally inspect the needle, from the days of dial meters. Most electricity meters now report by themselves, but the word and the reading date, kenshin-bi (検針日), remain. You pay for the period between two reading dates, which rarely matches a calendar month.
From that reading comes the one measured number: shiyōryō (使用量), usage, in kilowatt-hours for electricity and cubic metres for gas and water. Everything else is calculated: a fixed basic charge from your contract, and lines of usage times a unit price.
The notice is usually titled go-shiyōryō no o-shirase (ご使用量のお知らせ), notice of your usage, and people still call it kenshinhyō (検針票). Many companies now show it online by default and post paper only on request; TEPCO began this switch in November 2020. At home, the talk is more casual.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今月の電気代、いくらだった？ | Kongetsu no denkidai, ikura datta? | How much was the electricity this month? |
| エアコンを使ったから、高いね。 | Eakon o tsukatta kara, takai ne. | It's high because we used the air conditioner. |
| 去年の同じ月より安いよ。 | Kyonen no onaji tsuki yori yasui yo. | It's cheaper than the same month last year. |
The electricity notice, zone by zone
Layouts differ by company, but the order is nearly always the same: who you are, which period, how much you used, how much you owe and how it will be paid. As with a Japanese payslip, find the zones first, then the numbers. The diagram shows a fictional company's notice.
| Field | Reading | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| お客さま番号 | o-kyakusama bangō | Your customer number; quote it when you call |
| 供給地点特定番号 | kyōkyū chiten tokutei bangō | A 22-digit number for your supply point, needed when you switch company |
| ご契約種別 | go-keiyaku shubetsu | Your plan, often with a contract size such as 30A |
| 検針日 | kenshin-bi | The reading date that closes the period |
| ご使用期間 | go-shiyō kikan | The period being billed |
| ご使用量 | go-shiyōryō | Usage in kWh |
| 請求予定金額 | seikyū yotei kingaku | The amount to be charged, tax included |
| 口座振替予定日 | kōza furikae yotei-bi | The date the money leaves your account |
Near the usage you may see tōgetsu shijisū (当月指示数) and zengetsu shijisū (前月指示数), this and last reading of the meter's running total; usage is broadly the difference.
How the total is built
Kihon ryōkin (基本料金), basic charge, is fixed by your contract; in many regions it rises with the contract size in amperes, 30A, 40A and so on. Denryokuryō ryōkin (電力量料金), literally electric-power-amount charge, is usage times a unit price. On standard household plans the price rises in tiers: the first 120 kWh are cheapest and use above 300 kWh costs most.
Two adjustments follow. Nenryōhi chōseigaku (燃料費調整額), the fuel cost adjustment, is usage times a unit price that changes every month with fuel import prices, and it can be a minus. Some companies print it inside the energy charge. Saiene fukakin (再エネ賦課金), the renewable energy surcharge, is a nationwide levy of 4.18 yen per kWh for bills from May 2026 to April 2027. Tax is already included, and fractions of a yen are dropped from the total.
Gas and water: the same reading, different units
Gas works the same way: a basic charge plus cubic metres times a unit price, with genryōhi chōsei (原料費調整), raw material cost adjustment, in place of the fuel adjustment. City gas, toshi gasu (都市ガス), comes by pipe; many apartments use propane, puropan gasu (プロパンガス), from a local company that sets its own, often higher, prices.
Water is billed by the local authority, and the cycle varies by city. In Tokyo, ordinary households are read every two months and billed each time, so one notice covers about sixty days. Sewerage, gesuidō (下水道), literally the lower waterway, is charged on the same notice. Other cities bill monthly. Flatmates splitting the bills soon learn the difference.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 水道代は2か月分だよ。 | Suidōdai wa ni-kagetsu-bun da yo. | The water bill covers two months. |
| ガス代、半分ずつにしよう。 | Gasudai, hanbun zutsu ni shiyō. | Let's split the gas bill in half. |
| うちはプロパンガスだから、ちょっと高いんだ。 | Uchi wa puropan gasu da kara, chotto takai n da. | Ours is propane, so it's a bit expensive. |
| Utility | Reading | Unit | Usual cycle | Monthly adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 電気 | denki | kilowatt-hours | Monthly | Fuel cost adjustment |
| 都市ガス | toshi gasu | cubic metres | Monthly | Raw material cost adjustment |
| プロパンガス | puropan gasu | cubic metres | Monthly | Set by the supplier |
| 水道・下水道 | suidō, gesuidō | cubic metres | Every two months in many cities | None |
Everyday speech adds dai (代), charge: denkidai, gasudai, suidōdai. The formal ryōkin belongs to documents and call centres.
Paying: auto-debit, cards and the slip at the convenience store
There are three usual ways to pay. Kōza furikae (口座振替), literally account transfer, is automatic debit from a Japanese bank account, set up with a form or online; Tokyo's water bureau gives a small discount for it. Opening the account is a banking topic with its own guide. Credit cards are common for electricity and gas. The third way is a payment slip, haraikomihyō (払込票), with a barcode, paid at a bank, post office or convenience store.
At a convenience store the cashier scans the slip, you pay, usually in cash, and the cashier stamps the receipt part, ryōshūsho (領収証), and hands it back. Keep it until the next notice shows the payment.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| これ、お願いします。 | Kore, onegai shimasu. | This, please. |
| 9,846円になります。 | Kyūsen happyaku yonjūroku-en ni narimasu. | That comes to 9,846 yen. |
| お支払いは現金のみになります。 | O-shiharai wa genkin nomi ni narimasu. | Payment is cash only. |
| こちら、控えになります。 | Kochira, hikae ni narimasu. | Here is your copy. |
| カードで払えますか。 | Kādo de haraemasu ka. | Can I pay by card? |
| 期限が過ぎていますが、払えますか。 | Kigen ga sugite imasu ga, haraemasu ka. | It's past the deadline. Can I still pay it? |
Beyond the basics: due dates, late interest and reminders
At the large electricity and gas companies, the deadline, shiharai kigen (支払期限), is the 30th day counted from the day after the meter reading. After that, late interest, entai risoku (延滞利息), can be added to a later bill: TEPCO charges about 10 per cent a year, while Tokyo Gas waives it if you pay within ten days of the deadline. A failed auto-debit is usually retried a week or so later.
If nothing is paid, a tokusokujō (督促状), reminder, comes next, and notice of suspension can follow; TEPCO may stop supply, after notice, once a bill is 20 days past the deadline. Water authorities have their own schedules. A call before the date usually settles things.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 支払いが遅れてしまいました。 | Shiharai ga okurete shimaimashita. | I'm afraid my payment is late. |
| 払込票を再発行していただけますか。 | Haraikomihyō o saihakkō shite itadakemasu ka. | Could you reissue the payment slip? |
| 引き落としができなかったと連絡がありました。 | Hikiotoshi ga dekinakatta to renraku ga arimashita. | I was told the debit didn't go through. |
| 延滞利息はかかりますか。 | Entai risoku wa kakarimasu ka. | Will there be late interest? |
| 口座振替に変更したいのですが。 | Kōza furikae ni henkō shitai no desu ga. | I'd like to switch to automatic debit. |
Confusable pairs on a utility notice
Several terms come in pairs that look alike and mean different things. Read each row as two terms side by side.
| Pair | Reading | What differs |
|---|---|---|
| 使用量 / 指示数 | shiyōryō / shijisū | Usage is what you used; the reading is the meter's running total |
| 口座振替予定日 / 支払期限 | kōza furikae yotei-bi / shiharai kigen | When auto-debit takes the money; the last day before late interest |
| 燃料費調整額 / 原料費調整額 | nenryōhi chōseigaku / genryōhi chōseigaku | Fuel adjustment on electricity; raw material adjustment on gas |
| 基本料金 / 最低料金 | kihon ryōkin / saitei ryōkin | A fixed charge by contract size; a minimum covering the first few kWh, on older plans in Kansai and parts of the west |
| ご使用量のお知らせ / 請求書 | go-shiyōryō no o-shirase / seikyūsho | A notice of usage and charges; a bill that asks you to pay, often with a slip |
Calling the company: phrases you will need
Calls follow a script in polished keigo: customer number first, then name and address, then the reason. Have the notice in front of you. Moving is the most common reason to call: give your move-out date, and expect gas at the new address to need a reconnection visit, often with you present.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お客さま番号をお願いいたします。 | O-kyakusama bangō o onegai itashimasu. | May I have your customer number? |
| 検針票に書いてある番号ですね。 | Kenshinhyō ni kaite aru bangō desu ne. | That's the number on the meter notice, right? |
| 今月の請求額が高いので、確認したいのですが。 | Kongetsu no seikyūgaku ga takai node, kakunin shitai no desu ga. | This month's charge is high, so I'd like to check it. |
| 引っ越しをするので、解約したいです。 | Hikkoshi o suru node, kaiyaku shitai desu. | I'm moving, so I'd like to end the contract. |
| ガスの開栓の立ち会いは何時ごろですか。 | Gasu no kaisen no tachiai wa nan-ji goro desu ka. | Roughly what time is the gas reconnection visit? |
| 請求書が届いていないのですが。 | Seikyūsho ga todoite inai no desu ga. | I haven't received the bill. |
| 名義を変更したいのですが。 | Meigi o henkō shitai no desu ga. | I'd like to change the name on the account. |
| 新しい住所で使い始める日は10月1日です。 | Atarashii jūsho de tsukaihajimeru hi wa jūgatsu tsuitachi desu. | I'll start using it at the new address on 1 October. |
Mistakes newcomers make with utility bills
Comparing a two-month water bill with a one-month electricity bill. The cause is assuming every utility bills monthly. Check the period on each notice; in Tokyo the water figure covers about sixty days.
Reading the fuel adjustment as a penalty or an error. The cause is an unfamiliar line that changes monthly, sometimes with a minus sign. It tracks fuel prices, and at times government discounts, for everyone on the same plan.
Ignoring the notice because you pay by auto-debit. The cause is thinking it is only a bill. It gives the date and amount in advance, so you can keep enough in the account.
Moving out without cancelling. The cause is thinking that the last payment ends the contract. Tell each company your move-out date, or the basic charge keeps running.
Calling without the customer number. The cause is not knowing the script. The number is printed at the top of every notice and slip, so have it ready.