PLN Clarifies Issue on Rp41 Million Electricity Fine

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State-owned electricity company PLN has finally spoken up about the viral issue of its customer being charged with a fine of Rp41 million. The customer was considered to have stolen electricity by breaking the seal of the electricity meter in her house.

Syaepul Hanan, the company’s manager of finance and general affairs of the Pekanbaru regional office, Riau Islands, confirmed that the fine was indeed the result of the company's follow-up after conducting a field inspection.

“In order to improve services and ensure the safety of the electricity network, PLN conducts an inspection program at customers' homes. Initial results of the inspection found that there were indications of abnormalities in the electricity meter,” said Syaepul in a written statement, Friday, August 26, 2022.

He also claimed that the company had coordinated with the customer and followed up on her objection. Syaepul ensured that during the coordination process, the electricity in the customer's house would not be cut off as PLN installed a temporary electricity meter.

On Wednesday, August 24, a customer named Joy voiced her complaint through her Twitter account @sapphicoak. In her tweet, Joy explained that PLN officers and policemen visited her house and charged her a fine of Rp41 million for allegedly stealing electricity and breaking the electricity meter’s seal.

She explained that her electricity bill previously reached Rp1.8 million per month because she lived with a large family and used jumbo electricity. But the monthly bill plummeted to only Rp500,000 because only her mother and the household assistant live in the house at the present.

ARRIJAL RACHMAN

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