80.5% of survey respondents worried about electricity costs this winter

For me, spooky season here in Japan maybe isn't so much about Halloween, and more so about the fright I get when I open the colder season electricity bills! It's not just me, either, with quite a few households already thinking twice before reaching for the heater.

A survey released by Octopus Energy Japan earlier this month found that 80.5% of respondents were worried about their electricity bills this winter. Even more scary, 74.6% said they'd previously held back from using the heating because of the cost, despite feeling cold.

The most common approach to staying warm was adding extra layers or reaching for blankets, with 54.7% choosing that option. More than a third said they planned to reduce the number of rooms or hours they used the heating.

Interestingly, fewer than one in five respondents said they planned to check or compare their electricity plans.

The survey involved 307 people responsible for (or involved in) reviewing their household electricity arrangements, so it isn't necessarily representative of every household in Japan. Still, the results give a pretty clear picture of how much energy costs are weighing on people's minds.

For anyone spending their first winter in Japan, it might be worth checking your electricity plan before the really cold weather arrives. A few extra blankets are useful, but nobody wants to spend the entire season wearing their winter coat indoors.