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 our customers in a comfortable, safe, and secure manner. Going forward, we will contribute to local communities in new ways by 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

We have installed "Space Hotaru", a smart meter, on all gas meters for LP gas and city gas supplied by our own gas pipelines, enabling us to monitor gas leaks and other abnormalities at all times for immediate response. In our LP gas operations, we have installed microcomputer meters*1 at 100% of customer households as well as　earthquake shut-off valves. In addition, we use Gurapita hoses*2, which use tensional force to prevent gas discharge, as standard. In addition, we assess the impact of water risk on its business sites on the Hazard Map, and prepare for the risk such as natural disasters, and have installed double safety chains to prevent cylinders from tipping over, falling down, and spilling at LP Gas customers' sites in areas where flooding is estimated to be more than 1m on the Hazard Map. In the city gas business, we are taking proactive measures such as replacing 99% of old gas pipes that deteriorate over time with polyethylene gas pipes which have superior earthquake resistance.
In preparation for disasters, we have prepared a disaster manual, conducted emergency response drills, and stockpiled food supplies to ensure that we are ready to respond quickly in times of disasters. During disaster drills, Google Meet is used to provide clear instructions for anticipated emergency scenarios. We also strive to secure accommodations for the entire group employees who may need to rush to sites during emergencies through pre-arranged agreements with nearby lodging facilities.

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)

In the event of a major earthquake, gas supply is automatically shut off, the safety of gas supply equipment is checked, and any abnormalities are promptly addressed. In the case of an earthquake with intensity of 5 or higher on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, our staffs perform autonomous inspections on site. In the event of a disaster, a staffed call center and emergency hotline will be established to respond to customers. We promptly collect and share damage information through smartphones and satellite phones and conduct emergency responses based on staff assignment instructions from the disaster headquarters. For prompt recovery response, we have also established a system for cooperating with construction companies, manufacturers, and other partner companies. In response to the recent increase in heavy rain damage, we have introduced a system for inspecting facilities from the air 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. For other measures to secure energy sources in times of disasters, we have installed power self-generators that run on LP gas at our main offices, and at our solar-powered offices, we have prepared a system to provide replacement batteries for EV scooters which local residents can use in the event of a disaster. In 2023, we installed PowerX' battery-integrated ultrafast EV chargers at our sales offices. 

The Higashi Kanto Branch installed PowerX' battery-integrated ultrafast EV charger.

Shared use of 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.

“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.

For our gas customers
To use gas safely