Japan Utility Shut-Off Notice (供給停止・給水停止予告)

Who receives it

It goes to the account holder when a utility bill has not been confirmed as paid after the due date. Common causes are a failed bank direct debit or credit card charge due to insufficient funds, a convenience-store payment slip that was never paid, or invoices that went astray around a move. Because it is addressed to the contract holder, the name on the letter may belong to a housemate or a previous tenant rather than the person actually living there.

What to do

1. 1Check who sent it (electric company, gas company, or the city water bureau), and confirm the customer number (お客様番号), the service address and the name.
2. 2Find and note the unpaid amount and the two dates, the payment due date and the 停止予定日 (planned shut-off date), usually printed near the amount or inside a boxed area.
3. 3If a payment slip (払込票) is enclosed and still valid, pay it at a convenience store or bank and keep the receipt; if the barcode has expired it cannot be scanned, so call the issuer and ask for a reissued slip.
4. 4If you cannot pay in full by the date, phone the contact number printed on the letter before the shut-off date and ask whether an instalment plan or a short extension is possible.
5. 5If you paid at the last minute, tell the issuer, since processing takes days; if the supply is already off, arrange restoration and, for gas, book an appointment where someone must be home.

About the deadline

There are usually two dates on this letter: the payment due date, and the 停止予定日, the date from which the supply may be cut. They are normally printed next to the amount or inside a bordered box. The shut-off date does not guarantee that the supply stops exactly that day, nor that you get extra grace after it. Payments can take several days to reach the utility's system, so paying on the final day may not stop the disconnection in time.

Common misunderstandings

I already paid. Can I ignore this letter?

It is often just a crossed-in-the-post letter, but do not ignore it. Payments can take a few days to register, and the notice may cover a different month that is still unpaid. Keep your receipt or bank record and check with the number printed on the letter.

It says 最終通告 (final notice), will another reminder come?

最終通告 means exactly that: it is the last letter before the supply is actually stopped. Do not wait for a further reminder. If paying is difficult, contact the issuer before the shut-off date rather than waiting.

If I pay, will everything come back on immediately?

Electricity is often restored fairly quickly once payment is confirmed, but gas requires a technician to visit and reopen the meter for safety, which needs an appointment and someone present. Water is handled by the municipal water bureau. Timing varies by provider and time of day, so confirm after you pay.

The contract is not in my name, it is the previous tenant's or my flatmate's.

Even so, the supply to that address is what gets cut, so it affects whoever lives there now. Call the issuer with the customer number from the letter and ask whether you need to change the name on the account or sign a new contract. In rental housing where the management company holds the contract, contact them too.

What if I genuinely cannot pay?

Ask the utility first about instalments or a postponement. If your household finances are strained overall, your city or ward's welfare consultation desk (福祉相談窓口) and the local 社会福祉協議会 (council of social welfare) also take consultations. For complicated debt situations, speak with a legal support body such as 法テラス.

Other documents

• 電気料金 請求書・検針票: Japan Electricity Bill / Usage Notice Explained
• 電気・ガス切替 Solicitation / Contract-Change Notice Explained
• ガス料金 請求書: Japan Gas Bill / Usage Notice Explained
• 法定点検 Notice: Gas / Fire-Safety Inspection Notice Explained
• NHK Receiving Fee Bill or Notice (NHK受信料): What to Do