Press Release Back Number(2006)

Concerning Inappropriate Work Procedures Used for Customer Electricity Meters at End of Usable Life

September 13, 2006
Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc.

Chubu Electric has discovered that two employees working in the service area of our Suwa Sales Office (Nishitakanomachi, Shimosuwa-machi, Suwa-gun, Nagano Prefecture) improperly altered data in a company system for managing customer electricity meter retirement dates, thereby postponing the date at which electricity meters would be replaced and allowing equipment at the end of its usable life to stay in service.

Results of a company investigation show that 25 electricity meters were still in service after their usable life had expired.

In addition, there were 43 cases in which meter retirement had been similarly postponed, but these meters had already been replaced by the time of the investigation.

Chubu Electric is currently offering apologies to affected customers and consulting with them concerning the volume of electricity consumed since the expiration of their meters' usable life. Work is also proceeding to replace those meters that should have been replaced earlier.

We deeply regret this situation and are working to ensure proper work procedures to prevent similar events in the future.

Reference:Japan's Measurement Law prescribes the usable life of electricity meters to ensure proper measurement (seven years for high voltage meters, 10 years for low voltage meters, and so on). As a rule, meters are replaced before the end of their mandated usable lives.