I'm a software engineer and I have a lot of computer equipment that would probably consume more than twice the average apartment would in a month. I'm in Kanagawa (but basically on the border to Tokyo, so Kanto) but I've heard people's electrical bills can get really expensive, and I'm just worried my bill could honestly cost as much as my rent. I'm currently paying 83000yen per month but utilities aren't included. I'm expecting with what people are saying it could cost around 100k to 110k yen, but with my equipment I'm thinking it could cost up to 150k, basically double my rent, and I'm just a bit concerned. Are there any ways anyone has tried to reduce their electricity bill, like a time-of-day contract? For example, I know that some companies can offer cheap electricity during the night and before the day starts, but they make it really expensive during like 17:00 to 21:00. Since my water heater and stove are gas and I attend school and can also work from laptops for a few hours, I could cope with not using electricity during these times.
Also, is there maybe a way I could look into changing contracts? I'm also worried about potentially tipping the breakers. All the computers I use for AI training, game development, or running servers could technically consume up to 1500-1800+ watts, and if you add other appliances, I'm not sure a 30A breaker can handle it. Also, is it 30A for the whole house, or 30A for just that button (which controls 2 rooms)? How do I know? I haven't tripped it since when I moved in (3 months) but I'm always worrying just in case. The apartment is 3DK so there isn't too much space to heat up or cool down with エアコン, but heating and cooling in general takes a lot of power and would also cost a lot of money.
Another thing to worry about is that the dollar has been moving down because of Trump. It's now at 140 JPY per USD compared to 155~158 about 2-3 months ago. I don't use my powerful computers 24/7, but sometimes I'll use them for about 8-10 hours in a day (about once per week). I'm not in a position to really be worried, but I just have concerns because I should be getting my first electrical bill details this Wednesday, which is tomorrow, and I have no clue where my amount owed will end up.
by StillBeingAFailure