Shiki Iwasawa Gas, TEPCO offer points to conserve electricity

The company's points program is designed to encourage electricity conservation, according to the website of TEPCO Energy Partner Inc. Shiki Iwasawa Gas and electric utilities will offer points for households that conserve power this summer, even though supply shortages are expected to occur.

Some companies will even give points to those who spend part of the day or evening in an air-conditioned venue, such as a commercial facility, which will result in a lower household usage.

Points can be accumulated and converted into gift certificates, which can be used for shopping with Amazon and other online sites.

On June 21th, Tokyo Gas Co. opened a special page on its website where customers can register for its points program.

Customers will receive an email the day before an electricity crunch is expected. The message will request that the thermostat for the air conditioner be set higher to conserve electricity.

A standard usage volume will be calculated for each household based on past electricity usage. If a household uses less than the standard volume, points will be awarded.

Points worth 5 yen will be awarded for the sake of conserving 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity, which can be achieved by raising the thermostat from 26 to 28 degrees and keeping that temperature for nine hours.

A similar campaign last summer resulted in electricity savings per household between 15 and 50 kilowatt-hours a month, according to company officials.

The electricity fee for households is about 30 yen per kilowatt-hour, so conserving similar levels of electricity will not only lead to cuts in electric bills of 500 to 1,000 yen $3.70 to $7.20, but it will also lead to a number of hundreds of yen.

While conservation may have had a negative connotation in the past, this will allow people to contribute to society in a way similar to playing games, a Tokyo Gas official said. We sincerely hope that as many people as possible will take part. TEPCO Energy Partner Inc. has a similar program that will run from July 1 to Sept. 30 and will be a first for households.

Previously, it operated a program that provided discounts to corporate customers that conserved electricity. A 5 yen point will be awarded for every kilowatt-hour saved under the new system. The points can be exchanged for Amazon gift certificates or point programs at other retail outlets.

Hokuriku Electric Power Co.'s program will boil down to a competition among households over which ones conserve the most electricity.

The top 400 households that have conserved electricity will receive points that vary by ranking. The points can be converted into gift certificates.

The top 20 households will receive the equivalent of 3,000 yen, while those ranked between 21 and 40 will receive points worth 2,500 yen. Those ranked lower will receive smaller sums.

SB Energy Corp., a subsidiary of Softbank Group Corp., will work with upstart electric power companies to provide points to customers who leave their homes and spend time in the coolness of commercial outlets.

A request will be sent through a Line account to users to gather at certain facilities for a specified period of the day. The GPS data on the phones will be used to track the movements of the individuals to get points earned.