87% of Households Report Increased Utility Bills — Survey on Soaring Energy Prices and Household Financial Burden
Key facts
- 87% of Households Report Increased Utility Bills — Survey on Soaring Energy Prices and Household Financial Burden
- A survey by WAVE Inc. revealed that 87% of households in detached houses have experienced an increase in utility bills, and 92.6% are concerned about soaring energy prices. While 'endurance-based' conservation methods like frequently turning off lights are mainstream, there is high interest in solar power and storage batteries, with 42% showing a positive attitude toward installation if subsidies are available. These results suggest that publicizing and utilizing government subsidy programs are key to promoting renewable energy adoption in homes.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: June 2, 2026
Direct answer
A survey by WAVE Inc. revealed that 87% of households in detached houses have experienced an increase in utility bills, and 92.6% are concerned about soaring energy prices. While 'endurance-based' conservation methods like frequently turning off lights are mainstream, there is high interest in solar power and storage batteries, with 42% showing a positive attitude toward installation if subsidies are available. These results suggest that publicizing and utilizing government subsidy programs are key to promoting renewable energy adoption in homes.
- Citation
- 87% of Households Report Increased Utility Bills — Survey on Soaring Energy Prices and Household Financial Burden (June 2, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- June 2, 2026
A survey by WAVE Inc. revealed that 87% of households in detached houses have experienced an increase in utility bills, and 92.6% are concerned about soaring energy prices. While 'endurance-based' conservation methods like frequently turning off lights are mainstream, there is high interest in solar power and storage batteries, with 42% showing a positive attitude toward installation if subsidies are available. These results suggest that publicizing and utilizing government subsidy programs are key to promoting renewable energy adoption in homes.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: June 2, 2026 at 17:00
- 🔍 Collected: June 2, 2026 at 08:20
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 2, 2026 at 08:23 (2 min after Collected)
WAVE Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Takanao Kaneko), which operates the renewable energy web platform "Eco x Ene Consultation Service" focusing on solar power and storage batteries, has conducted a "Survey on Soaring Energy Prices and the Household Financial Burden of Utility Costs" targeting 500 adult men and women nationwide living in detached homes.
【Background of the Survey】
Against the backdrop of prolonged situations in Ukraine and the Middle East, energy costs such as electricity, gas, and gasoline continue to remain high. While the government has implemented subsidies and benefits, at the household level, the rise in utility costs is widely felt, and the number of families feeling the increased burden continues to grow.
"My bill doesn't go down even though I'm saving electricity."
"Our household budget is tight due to rising electricity and gasoline prices."
In response to these voices, our company conducted a questionnaire survey targeting 500 adult men and women nationwide living in detached homes regarding their anxiety about soaring energy prices, the impact on their household finances, and their countermeasures.
The results showed that about 90% feel anxious about the rise in electricity prices, and 87.0% have experienced an increase in utility costs. Although awareness of energy conservation is high, "endurance-based conservation" is mainstream, and interest in installing solar power and storage batteries using subsidies is growing.
Survey Contents
Which of the following has the greatest impact on your household budget: electricity, gas, or gasoline prices?
Compared to 1-2 years ago, have your household utility costs changed?
To what extent are you concerned about the persistently high energy prices?
What measures are you currently taking at home in response to rising energy prices? (Multiple answers)
If high energy prices continue, what measures would you like to take in the future? (Multiple answers)
How do you feel about the measures taken by the national and local governments against soaring energy prices?
Do you know that there are subsidies for installing solar power and storage batteries?
If you could use subsidies, would your intention to install solar power and storage batteries change?
Survey Summary
"Electricity charges" are the biggest strain on household budgets at 62.2%; 87.0% experience increased utility costs.
When asked "Which has the greatest impact on your household budget among electricity, gas, and gasoline prices?", 62.2% answered "electricity charges," making it the most common response, far surpassing gas charges (10.0%) and gasoline prices (10.6%).
Regarding the overall change in utility costs, 30.6% reported they "increased significantly (by 3,000 yen or more per month)" and 56.4% said they "increased somewhat (by about 1,000 to 3,000 yen per month)," meaning 87.0% have felt an increase, confirming that the impact of soaring energy prices is widely affecting household budgets.
92.6% of households are "concerned" about high energy prices.
To the question "To what extent are you concerned about the persistently high energy prices due to the international situation?", 45.4% answered "very concerned" and 47.2% answered "somewhat concerned," revealing that a staggering 92.6% harbor anxiety.
Only a total of 2.0% answered that they were "not concerned," highlighting the reality that concerns about rising energy prices have spread to almost all households. The instability of the international situation is directly linked to future anxiety at the household level.
Energy saving is mainly "endurance-based" — "turning things off frequently" tops the list at 70.8%.
For "What measures are you currently taking at home in response to rising energy prices?" (multiple answers), "frequently turning off unused lights and appliances" was the most common at 70.8%, followed by "revising the set temperatures for heating and cooling" (42.0%).
On the other hand, investment-type initiatives such as "replaced with energy-saving appliances/water heaters" (3.2%), "installed solar power/storage batteries" (3.6%), and "carried out insulation renovations or window improvements" (2.8%) are still in the minority.
For future measures (multiple answers), "raising conservation awareness and changing behavior" was overwhelmingly high at 70.2%, indicating a continued trend towards "endurance-based conservation." 7.0% cited "installing solar power and storage batteries" as a future measure, showing a certain level of interest in fundamentally reducing utility costs.
77.4% find government/municipal measures "insufficient"; a gap in subsidy awareness.
Regarding measures by national and local governments against soaring energy prices, a total of 77.4% felt they were "insufficient," with 42.2% thinking they were "somewhat insufficient" and 35.2% "completely insufficient."
Furthermore, regarding subsidies from the country and municipalities for installing solar power and storage batteries, 34.2% had "heard of them to some extent" and 20.4% "did not know," meaning 54.6% did not have a concrete understanding of the system, revealing that awareness of the subsidy system is not sufficiently widespread.
With subsidies, 42.0% would "positively consider/install."
To the question "If you could use subsidies, would your intention to install solar power and storage batteries change?", a total of 42.0% showed a positive attitude towards installation, with 36.8% saying they would "positively consider it" and 5.2% "would install it."
This suggests that the existence of subsidies could encourage a shift in mindset from "buying electricity" to "generating it yourself," and if awareness of the subsidy system spreads, it could lead to accelerated adoption.
Conclusion
This survey revealed that while anxiety about soaring energy prices is widespread among many households, the mainstream response in daily life is "endurance-based conservation" such as "frequently turning off unused lights and appliances" and "revising heating and cooling temperatures."
On the other hand, 42% of households answered they would "positively consider/install" if they could use subsidies, indicating a definite increase in interest in long-term measures to reduce utility costs themselves, such as energy-saving equipment and the installation of solar power and storage batteries.
Many households feel the limits of daily savings alone, and it is expected that the option of "generating your own electricity" instead of "buying it" will expand further with the use of subsidy systems.
Details of the questionnaire can be found here: 87% of households feel electricity is expensive. Measures you can take now and subsidies.
About "Eco x Ene Consultation Service" operated by WAVE Inc.
"Eco x Ene Consultation Service" (https://eco-ene.com/solor/) is a bulk quotation service that introduces excellent sales and installation companies completely free of charge. We select the most suitable company for your family's situation and wishes from a nationwide selection of carefully chosen solar power and storage battery installation companies.
■ Solar Power Bulk Quotation: https://eco-ene.com/solor/
■ Storage Battery Bulk Quotation: https://eco-ene.com/lp02
【Survey Overview】
Survey Name: Survey on Soaring Energy Prices and the Household Financial Burden of Utility Costs
Target: Adult men and women nationwide living in detached homes
Valid Responses: 500
Method: Voluntary online survey
Period: May 26, 2026
Conducted by: Eco x Ene Consultation Service (https://eco-ene.com/)
Age Breakdown: 20s 40 (8.0%) / 30s 180 (36.0%) / 40s 176 (35.2%) / 50s 83 (16.6%) / 60s 20 (4.0%) / 70+ 1 (0.2%)
Household Size: 1 person 29 (5.8%) / 2 people 96 (19.2%) / 3 people 175 (35.0%) / 4 people 150 (30.0%) / 5 people 38 (7.6%) / 6+ people 12 (2.4%)
Residency (Top 5 Prefectures): Aichi 43 (8.6%) / Tokyo 42 (8.4%) / Osaka 39 (7.8%) / Saitama 33 (6.6%) / Kanagawa 31 (6.2%)
【Notes on Reprinting and Citation】
The copyright of this report is held by WAVE Inc. If you wish to reprint or cite parts of the survey report, please contact us in advance.
Please provide the following information when contacting us:
1. The survey report and the scope you wish to reprint/cite
2. The purpose of use (We may decline permission depending on the content.)
※When citing or reprinting this release, please be sure to credit our company.
Example: "According to a survey conducted by WAVE Inc., which operates the solar power and storage battery bulk quotation site 'Eco x Ene Consultation Service'..."
https://eco-ene.com/
■The following actions are prohibited:
・Altering part or all of the data
・Selling or publishing this report
・Reprinting or citing without specifying the source
▼Company Profile
Name: WAVE Inc.
Location: SHOKAI Bldg. 3F, 3-16-5 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Representative: CEO Takanao Kaneko
URL: https://www.funwave.jp/
【Background of the Survey】
Against the backdrop of prolonged situations in Ukraine and the Middle East, energy costs such as electricity, gas, and gasoline continue to remain high. While the government has implemented subsidies and benefits, at the household level, the rise in utility costs is widely felt, and the number of families feeling the increased burden continues to grow.
"My bill doesn't go down even though I'm saving electricity."
"Our household budget is tight due to rising electricity and gasoline prices."
In response to these voices, our company conducted a questionnaire survey targeting 500 adult men and women nationwide living in detached homes regarding their anxiety about soaring energy prices, the impact on their household finances, and their countermeasures.
The results showed that about 90% feel anxious about the rise in electricity prices, and 87.0% have experienced an increase in utility costs. Although awareness of energy conservation is high, "endurance-based conservation" is mainstream, and interest in installing solar power and storage batteries using subsidies is growing.
Survey Contents
Which of the following has the greatest impact on your household budget: electricity, gas, or gasoline prices?
Compared to 1-2 years ago, have your household utility costs changed?
To what extent are you concerned about the persistently high energy prices?
What measures are you currently taking at home in response to rising energy prices? (Multiple answers)
If high energy prices continue, what measures would you like to take in the future? (Multiple answers)
How do you feel about the measures taken by the national and local governments against soaring energy prices?
Do you know that there are subsidies for installing solar power and storage batteries?
If you could use subsidies, would your intention to install solar power and storage batteries change?
Survey Summary
"Electricity charges" are the biggest strain on household budgets at 62.2%; 87.0% experience increased utility costs.
When asked "Which has the greatest impact on your household budget among electricity, gas, and gasoline prices?", 62.2% answered "electricity charges," making it the most common response, far surpassing gas charges (10.0%) and gasoline prices (10.6%).
Regarding the overall change in utility costs, 30.6% reported they "increased significantly (by 3,000 yen or more per month)" and 56.4% said they "increased somewhat (by about 1,000 to 3,000 yen per month)," meaning 87.0% have felt an increase, confirming that the impact of soaring energy prices is widely affecting household budgets.
92.6% of households are "concerned" about high energy prices.
To the question "To what extent are you concerned about the persistently high energy prices due to the international situation?", 45.4% answered "very concerned" and 47.2% answered "somewhat concerned," revealing that a staggering 92.6% harbor anxiety.
Only a total of 2.0% answered that they were "not concerned," highlighting the reality that concerns about rising energy prices have spread to almost all households. The instability of the international situation is directly linked to future anxiety at the household level.
Energy saving is mainly "endurance-based" — "turning things off frequently" tops the list at 70.8%.
For "What measures are you currently taking at home in response to rising energy prices?" (multiple answers), "frequently turning off unused lights and appliances" was the most common at 70.8%, followed by "revising the set temperatures for heating and cooling" (42.0%).
On the other hand, investment-type initiatives such as "replaced with energy-saving appliances/water heaters" (3.2%), "installed solar power/storage batteries" (3.6%), and "carried out insulation renovations or window improvements" (2.8%) are still in the minority.
For future measures (multiple answers), "raising conservation awareness and changing behavior" was overwhelmingly high at 70.2%, indicating a continued trend towards "endurance-based conservation." 7.0% cited "installing solar power and storage batteries" as a future measure, showing a certain level of interest in fundamentally reducing utility costs.
77.4% find government/municipal measures "insufficient"; a gap in subsidy awareness.
Regarding measures by national and local governments against soaring energy prices, a total of 77.4% felt they were "insufficient," with 42.2% thinking they were "somewhat insufficient" and 35.2% "completely insufficient."
Furthermore, regarding subsidies from the country and municipalities for installing solar power and storage batteries, 34.2% had "heard of them to some extent" and 20.4% "did not know," meaning 54.6% did not have a concrete understanding of the system, revealing that awareness of the subsidy system is not sufficiently widespread.
With subsidies, 42.0% would "positively consider/install."
To the question "If you could use subsidies, would your intention to install solar power and storage batteries change?", a total of 42.0% showed a positive attitude towards installation, with 36.8% saying they would "positively consider it" and 5.2% "would install it."
This suggests that the existence of subsidies could encourage a shift in mindset from "buying electricity" to "generating it yourself," and if awareness of the subsidy system spreads, it could lead to accelerated adoption.
Conclusion
This survey revealed that while anxiety about soaring energy prices is widespread among many households, the mainstream response in daily life is "endurance-based conservation" such as "frequently turning off unused lights and appliances" and "revising heating and cooling temperatures."
On the other hand, 42% of households answered they would "positively consider/install" if they could use subsidies, indicating a definite increase in interest in long-term measures to reduce utility costs themselves, such as energy-saving equipment and the installation of solar power and storage batteries.
Many households feel the limits of daily savings alone, and it is expected that the option of "generating your own electricity" instead of "buying it" will expand further with the use of subsidy systems.
Details of the questionnaire can be found here: 87% of households feel electricity is expensive. Measures you can take now and subsidies.
About "Eco x Ene Consultation Service" operated by WAVE Inc.
"Eco x Ene Consultation Service" (https://eco-ene.com/solor/) is a bulk quotation service that introduces excellent sales and installation companies completely free of charge. We select the most suitable company for your family's situation and wishes from a nationwide selection of carefully chosen solar power and storage battery installation companies.
■ Solar Power Bulk Quotation: https://eco-ene.com/solor/
■ Storage Battery Bulk Quotation: https://eco-ene.com/lp02
【Survey Overview】
Survey Name: Survey on Soaring Energy Prices and the Household Financial Burden of Utility Costs
Target: Adult men and women nationwide living in detached homes
Valid Responses: 500
Method: Voluntary online survey
Period: May 26, 2026
Conducted by: Eco x Ene Consultation Service (https://eco-ene.com/)
Age Breakdown: 20s 40 (8.0%) / 30s 180 (36.0%) / 40s 176 (35.2%) / 50s 83 (16.6%) / 60s 20 (4.0%) / 70+ 1 (0.2%)
Household Size: 1 person 29 (5.8%) / 2 people 96 (19.2%) / 3 people 175 (35.0%) / 4 people 150 (30.0%) / 5 people 38 (7.6%) / 6+ people 12 (2.4%)
Residency (Top 5 Prefectures): Aichi 43 (8.6%) / Tokyo 42 (8.4%) / Osaka 39 (7.8%) / Saitama 33 (6.6%) / Kanagawa 31 (6.2%)
【Notes on Reprinting and Citation】
The copyright of this report is held by WAVE Inc. If you wish to reprint or cite parts of the survey report, please contact us in advance.
Please provide the following information when contacting us:
1. The survey report and the scope you wish to reprint/cite
2. The purpose of use (We may decline permission depending on the content.)
※When citing or reprinting this release, please be sure to credit our company.
Example: "According to a survey conducted by WAVE Inc., which operates the solar power and storage battery bulk quotation site 'Eco x Ene Consultation Service'..."
https://eco-ene.com/
■The following actions are prohibited:
・Altering part or all of the data
・Selling or publishing this report
・Reprinting or citing without specifying the source
▼Company Profile
Name: WAVE Inc.
Location: SHOKAI Bldg. 3F, 3-16-5 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Representative: CEO Takanao Kaneko
URL: https://www.funwave.jp/
FAQ
To what extent are Japanese households feeling the rise in electricity bills?
According to the survey, 87% of households in detached houses in Japan have noticed an increase in utility costs, with 62.2% considering electricity bills the biggest financial burden.
What are the common energy-saving measures in Japanese households?
The most common measure is 'frequently turning off unused lights and appliances,' practiced by 70.8%. This indicates that 'endurance-based' saving methods are mainstream.
Is the adoption of solar power progressing in Japan?
It is still a minority, but interest is growing. The survey showed that 42% of households would be positive about installing solar power if government subsidies were available.
How is the Japanese government's response to energy price hikes evaluated?
Public evaluation is critical, with 77.4% feeling that the government's measures are insufficient.
Which regions of Japan did this survey target?
The survey targeted adults living in detached houses across Japan, with a high number of respondents from prefectures like Aichi, Tokyo, and Osaka.