NEWSPRESS RELEASE
2022.6.16
The number of households using “SoftBank-Denki’s” power-saving app, “Eco-Denki App” exceeds 500,000, the largest in Japan
Launch of new power-saving (demand-response) service for electricity retailers
SB Power Corp.
Encored Japan Inc.
SB Power Corp. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President & CEO: Akihiko Nakano, “SB Power”) and Encored Japan Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President & CEO: Akihiko Nakano, “Encored”) are pleased to announce that the number of households using the “Eco-Denki App”, a power-saving (demand-response) service for households utilizing patented technology*1 launched in July 2020, exceeded 500,000 on June 11, 2022, the largest number*2 in Japan. Further, to enable customers other than “SoftBank-Denki” customers to use the power-saving service, we will start to provide an e-mail-based energy-saving service in addition to the dedicated app on July 1, 2022 to electricity retailers.
■ About the “Eco-Denki App”
As the first smartphone application in Japan to offer power-saving (demand-response) services, we launched the “Power-saving Challenge” in July 2020 on the “Eco-Denki App”, allowing users to get a sense of enjoyment out of saving power in a game-like experience. This allows customers to save power with a single tap of their phone at a time notified in advance, making it possible to save power with a game-like experience. Customers who succeed in saving power can earn PayPay points*3 according to how much power they have saved.
(Service Overview)
(Using the Eco-Denki App)
■ Results from “Power-saving Challenge”
As a result of continuous improvements to help customers participate in power-saving efforts, such as a simple user interface and optimization of power-saving reminders through push notifications, the service is currently used by the largest number of customers (503,006 households) in Japan as a household power-saving (demand-response) service.
The reduction in power consumption and CO2 emissions in FY2021 as a result of the “Power-saving Challenge” are as follows.
| Reduction in power consumption*4 | 5.08 million kWh/year | Largest power-saving service for households in Japan |
| Reduction in CO2 emissions*4 | 2,663 tons/year | Largest power-saving service for households in Japan |
When the supply-demand balance was tight on March 22, 2022, we conducted a power-saving challenge in the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s service area from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Participants in the power-saving challenge were able to achieve a power-saving of 10% compared to non-participants.
■ Provision of e-mail power-saving (demand-response) service
To date, we have provided power-saving (demand-response) services to electricity retailers using a dedicated app equivalent to the “Eco-Denki App” and on July 1, 2022 we will start providing an e-mail-based power-saving service. This will enable us to provide a wide range of households power-saving (demand-response) services not only to SoftBank-Denki customers, but also to customers using other electricity retailers. This enables retailers to provide customers who have already registered their e-mail with power-saving (demand-response) services without the need to install new apps.
■ Future initiatives
Due to changes in the energy situation in Japan and overseas, the Japanese government has been asking households and businesses to make efforts to conserve electricity for the first time in seven years and this is expected to increase demand for the use of household power-saving (demand-response) services. SB Power will further evolve its services to SoftBank-Denki customers to improve power-saving efforts and provide services to electricity retailers, thereby contributing to the stable supply of electricity through demand-response services for households and encouraging customers to make further efforts to reduce power consumption. SB Power and Encored will continue to accelerate the development of the most accessible and affordable energy services for customers by utilizing the latest services and content for smartphones provided by SoftBank Corporation and its group companies, as well as electricity big data analysis technology using artificial intelligence (Al).
| Customer feedback (as of June 15, 2022) |
App Store 4.4 points (out of 5 points) |
Highest score for electricity/gas apps for iOS |
| Google Play Store 4.0 points (out of 5 points) |
Highest score for electricity/gas apps for Android |
| External feedback | FY2021 Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award for Energy Conservation |
| Winner of the MCPC Award 2021 SDGs Special Prize |
※1 Uses Encored patented technology (demand-response management system including scheduling function in Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-138870).
※2 Research conducted by SB Power (as of June 15, 2022).
※3 PayPay points are also available at the official PayPay/PayPay card store. Withdrawals & transfers not accepted.
※4 Sum of values calculated by SB Power based on past electricity usage in accordance with Energy Resource Aggregation Business Guidelines. The period covered is from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.
● All company names and product and service names mentioned in this press release are either registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.
