Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do with the breaker on the day of commencement of electricity use?

You will not have electricity if your breaker is off. Check your distribution panel prior to using electricity. If the breaker switch is off, follow the procedures below.

Breaker operating procedures
1. Flip the amp breaker* to the ON position.
2. Flip the earth-leakage circuit breaker (ELCB) switch to the ON position.
3. Flip the wiring breaker to the ON position (just close the lid if it is a circuit breaker)
4. Check that the electricity is on.
*An amp breaker cannot be installed if the number of contracted amps has been set at the Smart meter. If you do not have an amp breaker, go straight to Step 2.

Please call the customer service center if you still do not have electricity after completing the procedures mentioned above or have questions.

Can I use appliances that I have bought overseas?

Ensure that your appliance is compatible with 100V/50 Hz if you are in TEPCO Power Grid's transmission and distribution area.

I smell gas inside.

In the event of an emergency
■ Do not use any stove, fire or other source of ignition under any circumstances.
And, do not touch the switch for your ventilation fan under any circumstances.

■ Open up your windows and doors as far as they will go.
Close the gas valve on your stove and on your gas meter.

■ Immediately call the following emergency phone numbers
Tokyo Gas Network Emergency Hotline: 0570-002299 (Navi Dial)
If you cannot use Navi Dial, call the following number: 03-6735-8899
Hours of operation: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
*If you live in an area outside the Tokyo Gas Network, please look at the list of other emergency service numbers. This list is in Japanese only.

I got a shock when I touched the outlet or appliance
(saw sparks and could smell something burning).

Please Contact TEPCO Power Grid, Inc. if you are in TEPCO Power Grid's transmission and distribution area.
0120-995-007
Hours of operation: 9AM~5PM (excluding Sunday/holidays, and a year-end/new year holidays)
This number is available 24 hours a day, every day, for emergencies, such as power outages.

The power went out.

Check the following to determine the scope of the power outage.

・Your entire neighborhood is without power
・Your house is the only one in the neighborhood without power

If your entire neighborhood is without power...
You may have lost power due to a problem with transmission/distribution facilities. We are very sorry for the inconvenience. We ask that you remain patient while we make repairs.

If your house is the only one without power...
■ You may have exceeded the capacity of your household electrical system. Reduce the number of electrical appliances you are using and flip the amp breaker switch to ON. If there is an amp breaker inside your Smart meter, the electricity should return in about 10 seconds.
■ If only part of your house is without electricity, you may have experienced a short in an electrical appliance or been using too much electricity in a particular room. Flip the wiring breaker switch to ON.
*If power does not return after a couple minutes have passed, and your breaker switch is in the ON position, or you cannot reset your wiring breaker switch to the ON position, please contact your general electricity transmission and distribution utility in your area.

How many days in advance can I submit an application for electricity/gas service?
Can I submit an application from overseas?

Electricity
You can apply for electricity on the day that you wish to commence use. It may take 3-4 hours for your electricity to be turned on.
Please notify us as soon as you know when you will be moving in.

Contact info :
Customers with a regulated rate plan : 03-6374-8936 (charged)
Customers who are considering switching to the non-regulated rate plan, gas rate plan, or our gas and electricity package plan: 03-6375-9835 (charged)
Gas
Please notify us by the day before you wish to commence use.
Please notify us as soon as you know when you will be moving in, as we may not be able to turn the gas on by the day that you desire in some cases.

Contact info :
If you are in Japan:
Please call the customer service center.

If you are NOT in Japan:
Customers with a regulated rate plan : 03-6374-8936 (charged)
Customers who are considering switching to the non-regulated rate plan, gas rate plan, or our gas and electricity package plan: 03-6375-9835 (charged)

When do I need to notify you to stop my electricity/gas if I move?

Electricity
Please notify the customer service center before the last day of use.
Please notify us as soon as you know when you will be moving out.
Gas
Please notify the customer service center by the day prior to the day when you will terminate use.
Please notify us as soon as you know when you will be moving out, as we may not be able to turn the gas off by the day that you desire in some cases.

Up until when can I use electricity/gas if I have notified
you to stop service because I am moving out?

Electricity
You can use electricity up until the date it will be shut off. Your electricity will be shut off at 12:00PM on that day.
Gas
You can use the gas until the day it will be shut off up until the point when the gas valve is closed.
The time when the gas valve will be closed depends upon work conditions on that day.
You may have to be present depending on the location of your gas meter or if there are automatically locking doors preventing access.
*For safety, when you leave your domicile for the last time, switch off your electricity breaker and close the main gas valve.

Do I need to be present when my electricity/gas is turned on/off?

Electricity
You do not need to be present when the electricity is turned on/off.
If you do need to be present due to facility conditions, etc., your general electricity transmission and distribution utility in your area or we will contact you.
Gas
You do need to be present when the gas is turned on/off because valves need to be turned on and off and a safety inspection inside your home needs to be conducted.
If your gas meter is outside, or in a location that is not restricted by automatically locking doors, etc. you do not need to be present when turning the gas off.

Whether or not you need to be present depends upon your domicile, so please read the above information carefully upon requesting the service.

I will demolish my house (building) and would like to
have electricity equipment removed. How do I do that?

Please notify us in advance if you wish to have electricity equipment (drop lines/meters/amp breakers) removed.
If you intend to demolish your house, please call the appropriate customer service number by at least two weeks before the day when your house will be demolished in accordance with the following contract status. Online requests for service termination are not applicable in this case.

If you are in contract with TEPCO Energy Partner,
please call the customer service center to request service termination and the removal of electricity equipment.
If you are in contract with other electricity retailers,
please contact the electricity retailer with which you have a contract.
If you do not have an electricity contract, (vacant home, etc.)
the general transmission and distrubution companies will handle the procedures for removal of electricity equipments. Please apply for the removal of electricity equipment with your general transmission and distribution provider. Please contact the general transmission/distribution utility in your area.

How do I switch my contract to another electricity retailer.

If you wish to sign up with another electricity retailer, please directly contact that company. You do not need to contact us as contract with TEPCO Energy Partner will automatically terminate.

Usage volume/Rates

I want to receive a paper receipt.

Receipts (information) are issued to customers that pay their electricity/gas bills via automatic withdrawal.

・ If you pay using a paper invoice, you will receive a receipt at the time of payment.
・ If you pay via SMS or an app, the receipt information will be displayed when you pay.
・ If you pay using a credit card, you can receive a receipt from your credit card company.

If none of the options above apply to you, please call the customer service center.

How do I get my receipt re-issued.

Since we do not reissue receipts for electricity and gas bills, we will issue a "Certificate of Payment" for a fee. If you wish to receive a “Certificate of Payment,”please read the following and call the customer service center.

"Certificate of Payment" issuance fee:
1,000 yen per copy *If the certified amount exceeds 50,000 yen (excluding consumption tax), an amount equal to the stamp duty will be added.Please confirm the detailed amount at the time of request. TEPCO cannot issue a “Certificate of Payment” if you pay via credit card or SMS. Please contact your credit card company or payment service (credit card, LINE Pay, PAYSLE) to receive the receipt information.

Do I need to contact you or follow any procedures after paying unpaid bills?

If you do not require your electricity/gas to be turned back on, then it depends on where you paid. Please read the following.
If you paid at a convenience store:
We continually verify payments from convenience stores, so there is no need to contact us.
However, if you paid right before the day on which electricity/gas service is scheduled to be terminated (termination date), then please contact the customer service center mentioned below under “If you paid at a bank or the post office.”
If you paid at a bank or the post office
It takes time to verify payments, so please call the customer service center.
Please have your electricity bill receipt with you when you call to make the process smoother.

Payment method

What payment methods do you accept for electricity/gas bills?

You may choose to pay your electricity/gas bills by credit card, automatic withdrawal*1, paper invoice*2, or SMS regardless of your contract plan. However, payment methods may be limited to invoice depending on the type of contract. Please refer to Procedures for Changing Your Electricity/Gas Payment Method or the Details of Your Agreement for more information on payment methods.

*1: Financial institutions available for automatic withdrawal are different for electricity and gas. Please refer to the list of financial institutions that allow automatic withdrawal for details.
*2: Paper invoices can be paid at banks or convenience stores, as well as via various apps such as LINE Pay. Please refer to Procedures for Paying by Paper Invoice for more details. Scanning the QR code on the paper invoice will allow you to pay the invoiced amount for that month’s electricity bill using your credit card.

Can I still pay by automatic withdrawal if the name on my
electricity/gas agreement is different from the name on my bank account?

Yes.
You may use automatic withdrawal even if the name on your account is different.

Can I still pay with a paper invoice if the payment deadline has passed?

Yes, you can pay with the paper invoice you received even if the payment deadline has passed. Please pay at a nearby convenience store. However, if you make payment after the due date, there is a possibility that a late fee will be applied, or your contract may be subject to cancellation due to non-payment. Please note that payment deadline itself cannot be extended.

I received a post card telling me that my electricity is going to be turned off.

Postcards are sent to customers whose payments cannot be confirmed.
Types of Postcards
・ Important notice regarding electricity supply
・ Request for payment of electricity bills
・ Notice of the scheduled date of electricity service suspension due to contract termination

If you have not completed payment, please make your payment as soon as possible.
Please be aware that the payment deadline cannot be extended.

If you have received a postcard after you have made payment, it is possible that the postcard was sent before we were able to verify your payment. If you have already paid the monthly bill mentioned in the postcard, you may discard the postcard.

My electricity (gas) was shut off because I didn't pay my bills.

Payment of all past due bills is required for the resumption of electricity and gas supply. Please contact the customer service center after you have paid the unpaid bills.
Please have your electricity bill receipt with you when you call to make the process smoother.

How do I confirm that the SMS I received was from TEPCO?

TEPCO will never request you to make payment via a prepaid card such as V-purika. If you do not know why you received the message and are worried that it might be spam, DO NOT make payment and delete the message.

What do all the numbers and codes (customer number/supply region identification number/branch office code, etc.) mean?

Your customer number and supply region identification number are necessary for various contractual procedures and you should never share them with any other individuals.
Branch office code
This is a three-digit code assigned to each region in TEPCO’s service area.
Customer number
This is either a 10-digit (non-regulated rate plan) or 13-digit (regulated rate plan) number that TEPCO assigns to each customer contract.
Region number
This is a two-digit number that TEPCO assigns to each meter reading region.
Supply region identification number
This is a 22-digit (electricity) or 17-digit (gas) number used to identify the location in which electricity and gas is being used.
Receiving region identification number
This is a 22-digit number used to identify locations from which power is being received,
such as solar power.

If the above does not help, please contact Customer Service Center by phone.

How do I find out what my branch office code is.

Non-regulated rate plan customers
Your branch office code is 991. There is no individual number for each region.
Regulated rate plan customers
A branch office code is assigned for each region.
Please contact the customer service center to learn what your branch office code is.

Can I call from outside Japan?

Toll-free numbers beginning with 0120 cannot be accessed from overseas or from some IP phones. Please use the following number instead.
Customers with a regulated rate plan : 03-6374-8936 (charged)
Customers who are considering switching to the non-regulated rate plan, gas rate plan, or our gas and electricity package plan: 03-6375-9835 (charged)