Heeding the government's call to conserve electricity in the aftermath of the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Asahi Shimbun staff writer Kenichiro Saito vowed to live a “five-ampere life.”
Heeding the government's call to conserve electricity in the aftermath of the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Asahi Shimbun staff writer Kenichiro Saito vowed to live a “five-ampere life.”
Since the earthquake and tsunami struck northeastern Japan and triggered three meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the Japanese government, along with the power utilities, have called on all citizens, both private and in business, to reduce their power consumption, especially in the summer, to avoid possible supply shortages.
Currently all of the nation’s 50 nuclear reactors are offline as a result of the disaster and safety concerns, as well as for routine maintenance.
Saito started his new life in Tokyo a year and four months after the disaster.
The following is his report on that journey.
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“You will not be able to live a normal life,” I was told by an official from Tokyo Electric Power Co., which operates the crippled Fukushima No. 1 plant and supplies power to the Tokyo area, when I said I wanted to reduce my “contract ampere” to five.
In a large part of Japan, basic electricity rates are determined according to the size of the electric current a customer is allowed to use at a given time, as measured in amperes. The current size is called “contract ampere.”
When one signs a five-ampere contract, he or she can use up to five amperes of electricity, comparable to 500 watts, at a time.
While TEPCO has no basic charge for five-ampere contracts, the basic charge for 10-ampere contracts and 30-ampere contracts costs 273 yen ($2.70) and 819 yen per month, respectively.
Those who choose to live on five-ampere contracts cannot use air conditioners or microwave ovens because they normally require more than 10 amperes each. Meanwhile, electric fans only require currents of 0.3 to 0.7 amperes. A washing machine needs four amperes to operate on a spin-dry cycle.
The total amount I paid for electricity over the past 14 months--July 2012 through August 2013--was 7,266 yen, which means I used only 266 kilowatt-hours of power during the period. That compares to what TEPCO defines as an average household, which requires a 30-ampere contract, consuming 290 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month.
As for home appliances, I currently have an electric toilet seat that has the warm-water spray feature and a washing machine. Though I don’t suffer from hemorrhoids, I just couldn’t give up the toilet; it’s a luxury I have become accustomed to since I was a first-year elementary school student.
A washer is also essential for a single man in his 30s such as myself.
Hand washing dirty clothes is not an option as it is labor intensive and difficult for someone who works outside the home. Another reason I continue to use a washing machine is because I fear being told “you have become unclean since you stopped using electricity.”
Another dilemma was the refrigerator; they typically consume the largest amount of power among home appliances. I was torn about whether to let it go. In the end, I gave it to a friend last winter and decided to buy only the amount of food I could consume at one time.
As a result of these measures, my electricity consumption fell to six kilowatt-hours or less each month since January. My monthly electricity costs have averaged 223.8 yen since then.
The five-ampere life has not only altered my electric bills but also my quality of life.
I think it would have been impossible to embrace the power-saving life for such a long period of time if I had given up all comforts just to reduce my power consumption.
The greatest change in my living situation came when I moved to a bay-side neighborhood. My previous apartment was located in an overcrowded residential area and poorly ventilated. Because the apartment only got a few hours of sunlight each morning, the inside temperatures fell at times to 4 degrees in winter. I could not use the air conditioner due to its high power consumption, so I was forced to bundle up against the cold. At times it was so cold, I could see my breath, and it felt as if my heart turned to ice.
In late January, I decided to move to a public housing complex facing Tokyo Bay. My new place received lots of sunlight and a nice ocean breeze. On a sunny day during the winter, the temperature would sometimes rise to more than 20 degrees even when it was less than 10 degrees outside. I can truly say nature made my life more comfortable there.
Toward the end of March, I decided to purchase a small secondhand motor home. Campers were once thought to be an extravagance, but lately, they have become popular with those looking for simple shelters that offer minimal luxuries.
I installed a solar panel on the roof and a storage battery inside. Thanks to such technology, I could charge my mobile phone battery as well as watch TV.
In the second summer of my five-ampere life, the temperatures hit record highs and with little wind, I began to doubt if nature was still on my side. On hot days, the temperature in my room rose to 32 degrees and then to 33 degrees, even after opening the windows. I eventually broke down and turned on an electric fan that consumes 0.7 ampere of power when running at full speed.
The hot summer also increased my desire for cool drinks to wet my parched throat, but I had no fridge. After deep contemplation, I bought a fridge with a freezer that could operate on solar power. I also purchased online a high-performance cooler, which looked similar to a safe. I made ice in my solar refrigerator only when necessary and stored food in the cooler because it required no electricity.
I have succeeded in further improving my quality of life in spite of the sweltering hot weather this summer.
Although I occasionally feel the futility of my endeavor, I have never felt a sense of loneliness. The other day, about 20 people who attended a lecture on saving power, which was sponsored by the nonprofit organization Pacific Asia Resource Center, visited my home. I showed them ways I keep power consumption low such as utilizing a camp lantern instead of a normal light and removing light bulbs in the corridor. Some of them eagerly took notes.
Since the power-saving life increased my awareness of how electric power is generated and who is forced to shoulder the burden, my use of gas and tap water has also declined.
I have also learned to appreciate everyday objects and essentials that do not require electricity, such as brooms that are made by skilled craftsmen, some of which are quite lissome and beautiful, and steamers that can reheat cooked rice.
In September, I was transferred to Nagoya where Chubu Electric Power Co. distributes power. Colleagues often asked me if I would continue my five-ampere life there and if so, for how long.
My answer is always the same: “As long as I live.”
The problems at the wrecked Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant have not yet been resolved, and the facility continues leaking radioactive water.
Under the current situation, I am reluctant to return to my old life and its wasteful ways of unlimited power consumption. Thus, the decision to continue a power-saving life is an extremely natural one for me.
My next goal is to boost my own personal energy production through the use of solar panels and storage batteries, in case I marry and have children someday.