Tokyo, October 1, 2018 - Rakuten, Inc. today announced that it will launch Rakuten Denki, a low-voltage electricity supply service for residential customers, on November 1.
Rakuten Denki is a low-voltage electricity supply service with a 0 yen base rate and a simple fee structure for each region based on a unit cost that varies with the level of consumption*1. Customers can also receive one Rakuten Super Point for every 200 yen spent on their electricity bill, which can be used on Rakuten Group services, including the internet shopping mall Rakuten Ichiba. In addition, customers can also pay their electricity bill using Rakuten Super Points. Since April 2016, Rakuten has acted as an agent for low-voltage power procured and supplied by Marubeni Power Retail Corporation through its “Machi Denki” low-voltage power service, but the service has been limited to the regions of Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Kansai, Chubu, Chugoku and Kyushu. With the launch of Rakuten Denki, Rakuten will expand its service area to include Hokuriku, Shikoku and Okinawa, allowing the company to offer its electricity retail service to customers nationwide*2.
To mark the launch of the Rakuten Denki service, a campaign will begin at 11:00 a.m. on October 1, 2018, in which customers who sign up during the campaign period will receive a gift of 3,000 Rakuten Super Points.
Rakuten completed registration as an electricity retailer with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in line with the Electricity Business Act in February 2017 and now enters the market as a fully-fledged electricity retailer. Until now, high-voltage and super high-voltage electricity had been offered at a low price to customers within the Rakuten ecosystem, such as merchants on Rakuten Ichiba online and accommodation providers registered with the travel booking service Rakuten Travel. The Machi Denki low-voltage power service will continue to be offered for residential customers, and existing customers will also be informed of the benefits of switching to Rakuten Denki.
Rakuten will continue to contribute to the development of a robust energy market by providing a range of services as a retail electricity business.
*1 The electricity bill is calculated from the variable consumption charge for the area of residence and the monthly usage (kWh).
*2 Excluding certain remote islands.
Overview of campaign
Campaign period: 11:00 a.m. on October 1 to 9:59 a.m. on November 1, 2018
Outline: All customers who sign up with Rakuten Denki during the campaign will receive a gift of 3,000 Rakuten Super Points. Customers will be switched to Rakuten Denki power supply gradually from November 1.
Campaign website: https://energy.rakuten.co.jp/campaign/lp/point/.
* Site only available in Japanese.