LP gas (propane) in a rented apartment: why the bill is high

Why is my LP gas bill so high?

Because nobody regulates the price, and in a rental you do not choose the seller, so you cannot compare or switch. Five things shape an LP gas bill. LP gas (プロパンガス, propane) is the gas for a home with gas cylinders on the premises (Nippon Gas). For how to start gas when you move in, see the electricity and gas guide.

1. Nobody regulates the price. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s (METI) Chubu Bureau says LP gas is sold at free prices that each seller sets, like gasoline or kerosene, so prices and service differ by seller (METI Chubu Bureau).
2. You did not choose the seller. METI says tenants of rental apartments often learn the price only after moving in and have had to accept it (METI). Hokkaido prefecture’s summary of the national rule says tenants in effect cannot change the company afterward (Hokkaido prefecture).
3. The seller was also dealing with your landlord. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) relays reports that LP gas companies were asked for benefits by property and construction people, and could not refuse without losing the supply contract (MLIT). Hokkaido’s summary says costs unrelated to LP gas were being added to the gas bill in a way consumers could not see (Hokkaido prefecture).
4. The price includes fixed costs and delivery. The basic charge is the fixed cost of supplying gas whatever you use: cylinders, the meter, insurance, safety inspections, meter reading and collection (METI Chubu Bureau). The usage charge is the gas purchase cost, delivery, selling costs and profit (METI Chubu Bureau).
5. Where you live matters. At 10 cubic meters a month, the August 2026 region averages run ¥2,425 apart between Kanto and Hokkaido (table below).

METI also says about 4 in 10 households use LP gas, and that consumers have raised the opacity of retail prices (METI). We found no official figure for how LP gas bills compare with city gas bills, so this page gives none. A cubic meter of LP gas holds more heat than a cubic meter of city gas (National LP Gas Association), so a price per cubic meter does not compare between them.

How much does LP gas cost per month?

The Oil Information Center, which METI commissions to survey LP gas prices (METI Chubu Bureau), put the national average at ¥9,822 for 10 cubic meters a month on August 31, 2026. Its prices include the basic charge and consumption tax (Oil Information Center; what the price includes).

Preliminary figures (速報, preliminary report) from the survey of August 31, 2026, read October 3, 2026; the center also publishes confirmed figures (確報) every other month. The preliminary survey updates every month, so check the latest figures. These are averages across sellers: your seller’s own rates can be higher or lower.

One seller’s published rates

Nippon Gas (ニチガス), which supplies LP gas in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama and six other prefectures (Nippon Gas), publishes a standard tariff table. It lists a basic charge of ¥1,650, ¥7,700 for 10 cubic meters and ¥13,200 for 20, tax included (Nippon Gas rate table). That is ¥2,122 below the national average and ¥1,538 below the Kanto average at 10 cubic meters. Above 60 cubic meters, the bill is ¥35,200 plus ¥550 for each cubic meter over 60.

It says its basic charge covers cylinders, the meter, the regulator and safety upkeep, its usage charge covers raw material and delivery, and its equipment charge covers leased equipment (Nippon Gas). This is one supplier’s standard table. Whether it is what a landlord’s contract uses depends on the contract, and we did not check any other seller’s rates, so it shows the range, not a ranking.

What did the 2024 and 2025 rules change for tenants?

Two steps, both METI rules for LP gas sellers.

The Consumer Affairs Agency adds that in a rental, with no prior agreement, the tenant in principle pays nothing for equipment on a contract signed on or after 2 April 2025, so an amount in the equipment charge is worth checking (Consumer Affairs Agency).

What should I ask before I sign a lease with LP gas?

Ask the real estate agent for the LP gas price before you sign, as the Consumer Affairs Agency advises (Consumer Affairs Agency). If the agent cannot show it, ask the LP gas company directly: it must answer a person who wants to rent (Hokkaido prefecture).

LPガスの料金表（基本料金・従量料金・設備料金）を見せてください。 Please show me the LP gas rate sheet: the basic charge, usage charge and equipment charge.

1. Get the three charges. The basic charge, the price per cubic meter and the equipment charge, if any.
2. Work out a month. Add the basic charge to the price per cubic meter times your use, then compare with the table above for your region at 10 and 20 cubic meters.
3. Look at the equipment charge. On a contract signed on or after 2 April 2025, an amount there needs your prior agreement, in principle (Consumer Affairs Agency).
4. Ask for the written document (交付書面, the contract document) that shows the price, the pricing system and who owns each piece of equipment (METI Chubu Bureau).

This is most useful if you are still choosing between apartments. Once the lease is signed, you in effect cannot change the LP gas company.

What if I already live in the apartment and the bill is high?

1. Check the bill has three lines. Basic charge, usage charge and equipment charge have been required on new and existing contracts since 2 April 2025 (METI).
2. Ask when your contract was signed. A contract signed before 2 April 2025 can still carry equipment costs, as the bans on those apply to later contracts only (Hokkaido prefecture).
3. Ask the seller for the written document if you lost it or never got it (METI Chubu Bureau).
4. Report a suspicious charge. METI’s LP gas trade practice report form (LPガス商慣行通報フォーム) takes reports from consumers, anonymously if you prefer, including about real estate people (METI; the form, in Japanese).

We did not find an official way for a tenant to change the LP gas company after moving in, and the Hokkaido summary says there is none in practice.