Government strengthens consumer protection through EV charging station meters

Trade Minister Budi Santoso announced the launch of electric vehicle charging station metering services as part of the government’s effort to strengthen consumer protection amid the growing electric vehicle ecosystem. During the launch of the Type Approval and Calibration Service for Electric Vehicle Charging Station Meters at the Ministry of Trade in Jakarta on Monday, he stressed that the government must ensure consumers receive the exact amount of electricity they pay for. This is crucial as the charging station meters are relatively new to the public. “Therefore, when using SPKLU for charging, we must ensure consumers receive exactly what they pay for. As these devices are new, the public may not yet be familiar with them,” he said. Budi added that the government continues to push for a clean energy transition as part of national commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector. In this context, electric vehicles are seen as a strategic solution to support energy transition and improve air quality. He praised the swift action by the Directorate General of Consumer Protection and Trade Order (PKTN) in introducing the charging station metering service. “We must not wait for complaints before providing SPKLU meters,” he said. Budi added that this is the first such launch in Indonesia, with hopes for wider nationwide adoption next year. Meanwhile, PKTN Director General Moga Simatupang explained that the SPKLU meter type approval service implements Ministry of Trade Regulation No. 33 of 2025 on business activity and product/service standards under risk-based business licensing in trade and legal metrology. Moga stated that type approval is a control mechanism in legal metrology to protect consumers from potential losses in commercial transactions involving measurement, volume, and weight. “Type approval is a business license confirming that measuring instruments, volume meters, scales, and related equipment, whether domestically produced or imported, have received approval based on technical assessment and compliance,” he explained. During the process, legal metrology personnel inspect and test the instruments to ensure compliance with type approval and that their performance matches the manufacturer’s claims.