Building the Foundations of Local Communities

Providing safe, secure, and optimal energy

With a mission to contribute to local communities through energy, we deliver gas and electricity to local communities in comfort, safety, and a sense of security. Going forward, we will contribute to local communities in new ways by the following steps: evolving our business in light of changes in the energy industry, building distributed energy systems that can supply energy independently, and realizing optimal energy use in local communities.

Strengthening Disaster Preparedness (Resilience)

Preventive measures

Preventive measures (Mitigating disaster damage)

Enhancement of disaster prevention equipment

●LP gas NICIGAS has installed the following equipment in each household. ・Microcomputer meter: A gas meter with a function to automatically shut off the gas in the event of an abnormal event such as an earthquake ・Tensional-force type gas discharge prevention hose (Gurapita): A high-pressure hose that prevents gas leaks in case of cylinder toppling ・Double safety belts: In areas where floodwater levels are expected to exceed 1 meter and in the houses newly supplied with gas by NICIGAS, gas cylinders are secured with two safety belts instead of the standard single belt

●City gas ・Replacement of old gas pipes with earthquake-resistant polyethylene pipes

Stockpiling essential supplies

NICIGAS stockpiles the following supplies to prepare for shortages of energy and food. ・Portable electric power sources (NICIGAS headquarter) ・Emergency private power generators (NICIGAS headquarter) ・Placed PowerX’ battery-type ultra-fast EV chargers at important bases (Yume no Kizuna, Machida sales office, Chiba plant) ・Replacement batteries for EV motorcycles (sales offices that uses EV bikes) ・3 days’ worth of food supplies (Headquarters and all branches)

Strengthening organizational readiness

NICIGAS prepares for effective crisis response through employee training, internal system improvements, and cooperation with partner companies. ・Regular review of disaster manuals and annual disaster drills ・Establishment of area-based support systems: NICIGAS’ reorganization in January 2024 enabled itself to shift from a group company-based support system to an area-based system for faster response ・Coordination with construction companies and manufacturers for disaster recovery ・Securing accommodation for emergencies

Information session of earthquake shut-off valve function (Chiba area)
We conducted the training to understand the mechanism of shutoff valves and prepare for emergency response

Cylinders with double safety chains. Prevents overturning and spillage due to flooding, etc.

In the event of a disaster (emergency response, recovery measures)

Emergency response and recovery measures

In the event of a disaster, NICIGAS takes swift action to assess the situation and prevent secondary disasters while ensuring the prompt restoration of gas supply. ・Automatic gas shut-off and safety inspections of gas supply equipment in the event of a major earthquake ・Employee dispatch for on-site inspections of buildings and gas equipment in the case of an earthquake with intensity of 5 or higher on the Japanese seismic intensity scale ・Use of emergency two-way radios for reliable information sharing and instruction transmission ・Aerial inspections of facilities using drones

Efforts to optimize energy use for the entire community

NICIGAS will install stationary storage batteries in local communities and establish a system that allows them to be flexibly distributed within the community through a power distribution network. In addition to realizing the optimal use of energy for the entire community, the system will also be used as a disaster countermeasure. To secure energy sources, the following measures are taken: installed power self-generators that run on LP gas at our main offices, and prepared a system to provide replacement batteries at sales offices that use EV motorcycles in order for local residents to utilize it in the event of a disaster. In 2023, we installed PowerX' battery-type ultra-fast EV chargers at our sales offices.

The Higashi Kanto Branch installed PowerX' battery-type ultra-fast EV chargers

Shared use of NICIGAS’ infrastructure

NICIGAS shares its infrastructure and assets across the industry to contribute to local communities. The LP gas industry is highly fragmented, with approx. 5,000 LP gas companies in the Kanto region alone. There are approx. 500 small to medium-sized filling facilities, and issues such as the underutilization of infrastructure and assets, and labor shortages are becoming more serious issue. We anticipate that the “2024 logistics problem”* will give rise to further labor shortages and significantly impact cylinder delivery. In regional cities, securing meter readers is becoming a more challenge year by year.To address these local community challenges, NICIGAS will share LP gas filling and distribution operations, “Space Hotaru” smart gas meters, and other resources with other LP gas companies with the aim of optimizing redundant assets,enhance productivity, and tackle labor shortages across the entire industry.

*
From 2024, the annual overtime work limit will be capped at 960 hours for the transportation, construction, and medical industries. The
2024 logistics problem refers to the driver shortage and other problems caused by this regulation change.

Further information about NICIGAS’ platform business (Japanese text only)
Energy Sola website "Platform business"

“Protected Member Services”　Providing customers with safety and security

Protected Member Services is a warranty service for gas equipment and home electronics to our gas customers. We also provide services such as emergency response services for problems with plumbing and electrical equipment, discounted moving and housekeeping services, and 24-hour consultation for mental and physical health concerns, providing comprehensive support for our customers' lifestyles in addition to energy services.

Protected Member Services (Japanese only)

For our gas customers
For Safety When Using Gas