Digitizing Meters: The Middle Way To Increase PLN Consumer Bills

PLN officers (Source: PLN official website)

JAKARTA - The Daily Chairperson of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) assesses that digitizing electricity meters for customers of PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (Persero) or PLN is necessary. The goal is to record customers' electricity consumption more accurately

The Chief Executive of YLKI, Tulus Abadi, is of the opinion that changing electric meters to digital is a middle way so that consumers do not feel disadvantaged when their electricity bills suddenly jump, as many people complain about today.

Furthermore, Tulus assessed that today's society is also technology literate, making it possible if traditional meters can be converted into digital.

"The irony is that in this digital era, PLN is still based on manual kWh meters. With digitalization, the accuracy is higher, so the potential for disputes between PLN and consumers regarding the difference in kWh meters is getting smaller," he said in a discussion on Electricity Bill Polemic. People, Friday, June 19.

Likewise, Member of Commission VII DPR RI Andi Yuliani Paris said it was time for PLN to abandon the conventional method of recording electricity meters. He also encouraged PLN to immediately switch to digital technology.

Yuli, as he is familiar with, said in a hearing with the President Director of PT PLN, Zulkifli Zaini, the DPR questioned how accurate the kWh records made by the meter recording officer were. This is because there are some regions that have implemented large-scale social discussions (PSBB).

"If the officer records well. Otherwise this is surprising. It could be surprising for the officer to just record the meter playing with the assumption that there is Ramadan, WFH, electricity consumption increases, noting real usage. PLN should have used technology applications so that what is recorded is what is recorded. real, "said Yuli.

According to Yuli, he also questioned whether the increase in electricity bills that occurred and that the public complained about had a specific purpose. For example, so that people experiencing a surge switch from postpaid to prepaid.

"With this increase, customers are forced to move to prepaid? We know that prepaid has many vendors, many contractors. So there should be no games inside. In essence, we urge PLN to use technology applications for recording," he said.

On the same occasion, an energy economist from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Fahmy Radhi said he supported what YLKI and Yuli suggested regarding digitizing electricity meter recording.

However, continued Fahmi, this should be discussed more deeply. This is because later it will have an impact on termination of employment (PHK) at the official level record meter.

"Digital recording is very possible. But if digitization is carried out thoroughly, there will be layoffs. This is perhaps something that should also be considered. But I agree that in the future we must use digitalization," said Fahmi.