With the liberalization of the power industry,
It is now possible to purchase electricity from major power companies.
I think a lot of people are considering switching.
However, electricity rates vary depending on the region.
It is not widely known that there is a difference.

This time, we will focus on regional differences in electricity rates.
Let's verify it.

Regional electricity price rankings

Surprisingly, electricity prices
There are big differences depending on the region.
The table below shows the average household
Basic charge 30A, 300kWh of electricity per month
This is a summary of the monthly electricity bill when used.

Regional electricity price rankings
1. Hokkaido Electric Power: 9,420 yen
2. Okinawa Electric Power: 8,055 yen
3. Tokyo Electric Power Company: 8,010 yen
4. Chubu Electric Power: 7,920 yen
5. Tohoku Electric Power: 7,779 yen
6. Shikoku Electric Power: 7,489 yen
7. Chugoku Electric Power: 7,464 yen
8. Kyushu Electric Power: 7,137 yen
9. Kansai Electric Power: 7,101 yen
10. Hokuriku Electric Power: 6,778 yen

* Based on the price lists of each company as of March 2021,
Basic fee (or minimum usage fee)
Displays the total amount of the metered electricity charge
(Decimals are rounded down)
* Hokkaido, Tohoku, Tokyo, Hokuriku, Chubu, and Kyushu are calculated based on the B-rate rate, Kansai, Chugoku, and Shikoku are calculated based on the A-rate rate, and Okinawa is calculated based on the B-rate rate.

The rankings may change slightly with each revision of electricity rates.
But there are not many differences between the top and bottom.
No major changes are observed.
Looking at the table, the Hokkaido Electric Power Company area ranked first and
In the Hokuriku Electric Power area, which ranks 10th, the difference is about 2,600 yen.

The difference between these electricity charges is the basic charge (minimum charge) and
You only pay for the amount of electricity you use
This is due to the difference in pay-per-use charges.

How to calculate your electricity bill

The electricity bill for an average household is the basic charge (minimum charge).
Usage charges and various adjustment fees (fuel adjustment fee,
Renewable energy surcharge, etc.)
This is what is determined.
Pay-per-use charges are usually divided into three tiers:
The more electricity you use, the more
Electricity prices will go up.

Just like how electricity prices suddenly rise in summer and winter
What I feel is that the unit price of electricity is
There are also reasons for the differences.

Why electricity rates vary from region to region

So, by region
Why do electricity rates vary so much?

Utility bills such as electricity, gas, and water are
The fee is determined based on the "full cost method."
The full-cost method is based on the cost of supplying infrastructure.
This is a method of determining fees by adding an appropriate profit margin.
This cost is calculated by each electric power company.
Because they are different, the prices differ.

Differences in fuel costs

What has the biggest impact on electricity prices?
The difference is the fuel cost.
Nuclear power plants have been shut down in Japan,
Most electricity is generated by thermal power plants.
The fuels for thermal power plants are oil, natural gas,
Coal, etc., but the method of procuring fuel and the composition of fuel
This results in differences in cost.

In particular, Hokuriku Electric Power's electricity rates are low because
The proportion of hydroelectric power generation in the Hokuriku Electric Power Company area is high.
It has a big impact.

Hokkaido Electric Power Co. has a high ratio of oil-fired power plants, which have high generation costs.
To account for one quarter of
The electricity bill is getting expensive.

Differences in distance from the power plant

The further away from the power plant,
Electricity bills tend to be higher.
This means that the electricity generated
Because losses occur while passing through the transmission line,
To transmit the same amount of power
The need to generate a lot of electricity
This is because the cost of generating electricity will rise.

Hokkaido Electric Power and Tokyo Electric Power
Because the power plants are located far from the main electricity consumption areas,
As a result, this is reflected in electricity bills.

Differences in maintenance costs for electricity transmission facilities

The maintenance and management costs of electricity transmission facilities
It will affect your electricity bill.

If the power plant is far from the demand area,
Installing numerous power transmission lines, towers, and substation facilities
Have to.

Maintenance and inspection, heavy rain, earthquakes, etc.
Recovery costs in the event of a disaster will be high.
These are also factors that increase electricity costs.

Next time, we will continue toExplaining the difference between electricity bills in rural areas and urban areas"
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