Overview
- The Cabinet approved the ¥6,519 billion measure on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, allocating ¥5,219 billion for electricity and city gas subsidies and ¥1,300 billion for extra local grants to help LP gas and kerosene users.
- Household support is set to begin in December with electricity subsidized at ¥1 per kWh in December and ¥4.5 per kWh in January and February, while city gas will receive ¥4 per m3 in December and ¥18 per m3 in January and February.
- Officials estimate the three-month aid will cut costs by about ¥7,000 for a typical household and they moved the start earlier than last winter to match rising heating demand.
- The spending comes from the FY2026 'Middle East situation response' contingency fund, reducing its remaining balance to roughly ¥85 billion, and the government said gasoline subsidies will be phased down as it monitors crude-oil prices.
- The added ¥1,300 billion in local allocation grants lets prefectures target support for cold, rural areas that rely on LP gas and kerosene, easing immediate household heating bills and reducing strain on municipal aid programs.