Electric safety
Electrical safety tips
Wet hands are dangerous!Never handle switches or plugs with wet hands.
Don’t forget to earthWhen a short-circuit happens, there is a possibility of electrocution, so never forget to earth (create a connection to the ground).
Don’t overload outletsOverloading outlets causes overheating in the power strip and at the outlet.
Only use power strips within the range of their designed capacity.
Dust is the enemy!Remove any dust that has built up in the spaces between plugs and outlets that have been left plugged in for a long time.
Never crush or bend cords!Trapping wires under the weight of heavy objects or purposely bending wires can lead to breakages and short circuits. What's more, it is dangerous.
Insert plugs correctlyWhen inserting a plug into an outlet, keep the pins straight and plug it in firmly. When you want to remove the plug, don’t pull from the cord.
Backup in case of blackoutsDuring blackouts caused by typhoons and lightening, computer data may get lost, so we recommend backing up your data or using a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply).
It is dangerous to have electrical work done by anyone who is not a professional. For assistance, please telephone us to be connected to our electricity support staff via the household electricity option.
(Charges apply for repairs and construction, as well as inspections.)
In accordance with the law, we ask for your cooperation during inspections and checks on electrical equipment, when our entrusted personnel will visit your household (or other) as applicable.
Can I use an appliance bought overseas in Japan?
Different countries use different voltages
Voltage in Japan is 100 volts with a frequency of 50 or 60 hertz. In Kyushu the frequency is 60 hertz.
(Some households also have single-phase 200 volt outlets, so check the shape of the outlet to confirm which it is you have.)
Not many countries use the same voltage as Japan. Because of this, in most cases it is not possible to use overseas appliances in Japan.
When unsure, check with the manufacturer of your device
To find out if your device will work, please check the instructions that came with your device or contact the manufacturer. It is very important that you do check and confirm the compatibility of your device before trying to plug it in to an outlet, as incorrectly doing so can cause damage or failure to your appliance, or worse an electrical fire.
Is it a blackout or something else?
Caution
For some households the limiter cannot be found on the breaker panel but it is built into the smart meter. If so, the electricity should restore itself after 10 seconds following an outage, but in some cases when the power keeps going out, the cause might be somethings else and you may not be able to restore the electricity again. When this happens, please contact Distribution office.
What switches are set to the off position?
Breaker panel
Breaker panel (in homes with an electric water heater)
If manipulating the breakers doesn’t fix the power outage problem, or if you just aren’t sure what to do, please contact Distribution office.
