Government Considers WFH Option to Curb Fuel Consumption, Energy Use Could Drop 20 Percent

The government is preparing a work-from-home (WFH) policy as one of the measures to curb energy consumption, particularly fuel oil (BBM). The final decision is said to already be in place and will soon be announced to the public.

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa stated that the official announcement will be delivered by Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto. “The decision is already there, but it will be announced later. It won’t be me who delivers it,” Purbaya said at the Ministry of Finance office on Wednesday (25/3/2026).

He explained that restricting mobility through the WFH scheme could theoretically reduce energy consumption significantly. Even savings of up to 20 percent in BBM are deemed possible if public movement decreases.

“If mobility is restricted and people are asked to stay at home, BBM consumption can drop,” he said.

However, Purbaya cautioned that this policy cannot be viewed solely from the savings perspective. In practice, WFH also has the potential to stimulate economic activity in other sectors, particularly household consumption and digital-based businesses.

“With WFH, the economy can still move, even faster in certain sectors. Consumption rises, business rises. If tax revenues increase, that’s also positive,” he stated.

According to him, the government needs to assess the policy’s impacts holistically, not partially. Balancing budget efficiency and economic growth is key to ensuring the policy provides broad benefits to society.

In its regulation, the government is also considering productivity aspects. The WFH or holiday options will be directed towards days with the least potential disruption to performance.

“If holidays are implemented, those with the smallest impact on productivity will be chosen. Fridays, for example, have shorter working hours,” Purbaya said.

For the public, this policy has the potential to change daily activity patterns to include more work from home, while shifting shopping patterns towards domestic needs. The government hopes to achieve energy efficiency without impeding economic momentum.