Korea's Per-Capita Cooling Power Use Exceeds Japan's, Yet Household Bills Are Lowest

It has been confirmed that South Koreans run their air conditioners more than the Japanese, yet the actual electricity bills paid by households are the lowest among the countries surveyed. KEPCO announced that based on an analysis of rates applied to the average summer power usage of a four-person South Korean household last year, South Korea's electricity bill was 77,760 won, which is merely half that of Japan (165,983 won).

Due to the hot and humid characteristics of South Korea's summer climate, air conditioner operating times lengthen, resulting in high per-capita cooling power consumption. Compared to major nations excluding the United States, South Korea's per-capita consumption is high, reaching 1.5 times that of Italy, 2.4 times Spain, 5 times France, and 12 times Germany.

When KEPCO applied the rate systems of major overseas power companies, such as Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), France's Électricité de France (EDF), and the U.S.'s Southern California Edison (SCE), to the same usage levels, the monthly electricity burden for households in other countries ranged from 1.4 times to a maximum of 3 times that of South Korea. The U.S. was 193,848 won (2.5 times), and Germany was 231,049 won (approximately 3 times). France and Australia were also 2.1 times higher at 163,609 won and 163,746 won, respectively, while even relatively inexpensive Hong Kong (108,441 won) was 1.4 times the South Korean level.

Recent three-year data from an international energy price analysis website also shows that South Korea's residential electricity rate was $0.127 per kWh, ranking only 81st out of 144 countries surveyed. Most major countries, including Italy ($0.414), Germany ($0.406), Japan ($0.227), and the U.S. ($0.188), were more expensive than South Korea. Among OECD member states, only Canada, Hungary, Mexico, and Turkey recorded lower rate levels than South Korea.

Although the absolute rate level is low, a progressive rate system applies to residential electricity, causing the rate increase to accelerate once a certain usage threshold is exceeded. If monthly usage exceeds 450 kWh and enters the third tier, the rate burden surges.