Tokyo lowers water prices during the summer… to encourage residents to use air conditioning during heat waves

In an effort to reduce the number of deaths caused each summer by the intensification of heat waves, the Tokyo metropolitan area will exempt residents of the Japanese capital from part of their water bills. "We will cover the fixed portion of the water supply, as an exception this summer ," Governor Yuriko Koike announced on Tuesday, May 20. "We are worried that people will not use their air conditioners because they are concerned about the cost of living. We have been thinking about what we could do to help them pay their bills." The variable portion of the water service—the amount consumed—is not affected.

Summer in Tokyo is hot and humid, even stifling. In August, the average temperature in the capital reaches 34°C with 78% humidity. The heat is intensified by the "heat island" phenomenon caused by the construction of tall buildings, which are barely offset by the expansion of green areas and green roofs. These large complexes hinder air circulation, particularly the winds blowing off Tokyo Bay.

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