Only The Subsidy Recipients Get Free Electricity Compensation Due To COVID-19

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JAKARTA - Deputy Director of PT PLN (Persero) Darmawan Prasodjo said that only customers who can receive compensation for free electricity costs due to the corona virus or COVID-19 will receive subsidies.

"There is an allocation for a three-month electricity fee waiver. So April, May and June for the 24 million 450VA electricity customers plus a 50 percent discount for the seven subsidized 900VA customers. Why do I say subsidies because there are 900VA subscribers who are non-subsidized, ”Darmawan said in a press conference broadcast on BNPB's YouTube account, Friday, April 3.

For electricity users with 450VA power with a postpaid payment system, at the end of the month, their electricity bills will be immediately declared free for three months starting from April, May and June.

Meanwhile, customers with subsidized 900VA electricity who make postpaid payments, at the end of the month, the electricity bill will automatically be given a discount of 50 percent as recommended by the government.

For customers whose payments are through a prepaid system or use an electricity token, which has a power of 450VA, will get a free token for the highest monthly usage for the last three months. Meanwhile, electricity customers who use the subsidized 900VA power token will get a 50 percent discount from the highest usage over the past three months.

Then, how do you differentiate between subsidized and non-subsidized 900VA?

Darmawan explained, 900VA subscribers who are subsidized either postpaid or prepaid have a difference that can be seen in the receipt of payment received. Subsidized customers will have a code 'R1' in the 'Tariff / Power' column. Meanwhile, non-subsidized 900VA customers in the column will be written 'R1M', which means that R1 is capable.

"Even though it's 900VA, I apologize, the R1M means non-subsidized or capable means not eligible to get a discount of 50 percent," he said.

Furthermore, Darmawan said that customers who are entitled to this assistance can already get free tokens or 50 percent free tokens.

You can contact the number 08122123123 via the WhatsApp application or access the official website of PT PLN (Persero), namely www.pln.co.id. It's just that the given WhatsApp number, said Darmawan, will only start operating again on Monday, April 6.

“For WA numbers, today we received a few reports that there was a problem. Not from the PLN, but from WhatsApp, which is updating the server because the traffic will be very high. God willing, it will start running on Monday, ”he explained.

Previously reported, after establishing the status of Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) for the spread of COVID-19, President Joko Widodo prepared a social safety net or safetynet policy for the lower classes of society.

There were several decisions taken, one of which was to provide relief from electricity costs. Jokowi determined that customers with 450VA power, which amounted to 24 million, would be free for three months, starting from April, May and June.

Meanwhile, customers with 900VA power are only required to pay half of their bill for the next three months.