Electricity Tariffs Lowered in October
1 October 2014 16:24 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The electricity base rates (TDL) for four non-subsidized customer groups will decrease in October as the rupiah continues to weaken against the United States (US) dollar since last month.
"The price reduction is done in accordance to the principle of automatic tariff adjustment. Since the average US dollar exchange rate decreased throughout September, power rates in October are consequently lower," said the director general for electrical power at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Jarman, in Jakarta on Wednesday, October 1, 2014.
Jarman said the four non-subsidized customer groups that would be affected by the price reduction are large households (R3), medium businesses (B2), large businesses (B3) and Government Offices (P1).
As quoted on state electricity company PT PLN's official website, customers in R3, P1, and B2 categories will be charged with the new price of Rp1,515,82 per kilowatt hour (kWh) in October—down from Rp1,531.86 per kWh in September. Meanwhile, B3 customers will be charged Rp1,153.59 per kWh in October - down from Rp Rp1,155,69 per kWh in September.
The prices charged to these four non-subsidized customer groups are adjusted in keeping with the fluctuation of the US dollar exchange rate, world oil prices and inflation—in accordance to the principle of automatic tariff adjustment as laid out in a government regulation that came into effect on May 1, 2014. PLN hopes that a fair price can be reached by November 1, 2014.
AYU PRIMA SANDI