Japan energy use could increase slightly this year

This despite greater demand for power.

Japan's modest economic recovery is expected to boost its energy consumption for the first time in three years. The Institute of Energy Economics forecasts that energy use for fiscal 2013 will be up 0.7% year-on-year.

This reverses two years of declines since the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. IEE said Japan's energy consumption could rise further in fiscal 2014, if the global economy continues to improve.

They noted, however, that power-saving remains as important as ever, citing the recent rise in gasoline prices and an increase in electricity charges.

A reason for the uptick in energy use was the rise in power use by retailers and hotels because of the economic rebound. Steel and cement plants are also using more energy as they ramp up production.

Household energy use, however, continues to fall thanks to power-saving efforts.