Electricity Bills Rise, PLN: People Can Check Their Use

PLN officers checking the electricity meter (Photo: PLN Public Relations)

JAKARTA - PT PLN (Persero) revealed that one of the main causes of the increase in electricity bills is the increase in consumption during the implementation of work from home (WFH) rules. However, many people do not believe that their electricity consumption has increased.

Yuddy Setyo, PLN Senior Executive Vice President for Business and Customer Service, said that if the public is in doubt about the amount of the bill increase, PLN is ready to provide data on customer electricity consumption.

Yuddy explained that the public could contact the PLN 123 contact center or the complaint post to find out in detail. PLN has data on electricity consumption in the form of the customer's kWh meter each month.

"We have data when the customer ID is submitted, so we can see the history of the customer. We have the data when the meter is recorded, there are also photos. Then there is the recording data in each month where we can explain," he said in a virtual discussion, Monday. , June 8th.

In addition, Yuddy said, customers can also check on the official PLN website or can download the PLN application.

According to Yuddy, after the customer receives an explanation from PLN, the customer can check from their meter by looking at the kWh figure. Generally, the data submitted by PLN will be lower than that on the customer meter.

"It should be lower than what is in the meter because it was recorded a few days ago, because there is still usage so that what is in the meter will be higher," he explained.

However, said Yuddy, if it turns out that the kWh meter shows a much lower figure than the data submitted by PLN, then the customer can report it.

"Please protest to the 123 contact center, if it's wrong we will correct it," he said.

Yuddy admitted that the PLN complaint post is also active in monitoring public complaints on social media and seeking their contacts to explain the problems they face.

"We contacted, we explained with existing data. If it is not clear, we will go to the customer. We contact the nearest PLN," he said.

PLN returns overpaid customers

Yuddy explained, PLN guarantees that it will return the overpayment of electricity bills to customers if it is found that there is an overpayment of what should be.

"Nobody is harmed. If there are customers who are overpaying, we will deduct on the next bill," he said.

Furthermore, Yuddy gave an example, if a customer pays higher than it should be after an independent check is carried out through the official PLN website or application or by contacting the PLN contact center, the funds will be returned.

"For example, there is a decrease (from the evidence, red), we will return it to the next bill that we calculate," he explained.

There is no quiet rise

Yuddy denied that the increase in electricity bills experienced by the community was the act of PLN which deliberately raised electricity rates secretly. This is because the electricity tariff regulation is determined by the government directly.

"The point is that PLN will not increase or increase the electricity tariff. Because the electricity tariff is set by the government with the approval of the DPR, so if we raise the electricity tariff without this approval it will not be possible," he said.

The anomaly of an increase in electricity that occurs is not due to an increase in electricity rates by PLN secretly. However, Yuddy said, purely because the electricity consumption of the customers increased, especially in May which coincided with the moment of Ramadan.

"Yes, I guarantee it. Moreover, there are many supervisors who supervise us, there are auditors from BPK, BPKP, even the Attorney General's Office, the KPK can monitor our (work)," he said.