Lazy PLN meter-readers

Lazy PLN meter-readers

From Koran Tempo

My home's electricity is supplied by the state-owned
electricity company (PLN) of Kebon Jeruk area. Between November
2003 and January 2004, no PLN officer came to my house to record
my power consumption. For each of those months I paid only the
subscription fee of Rp 39,130.

A PLN officer came to my house to record my power consumption
only after I lodged a complaint. My February bill stood at Rp
166,600.

For the period from November 2003 to January 2004, I had to
pay charges for a power load in block 3 amounting to 206
kilowatt-hour. In fact, if a PLN officer had come regularly to
record my power consumption, I would have had to pay only for the
power load in block 3 amounting to 20 kwh, averaging some 80 kwh
per month. Obviously, the laziness of PLN meter-readers cost me
extra money.

Then I was in for a bigger disappointment as I was charged Rp
166,600 for the March bill, a sum equal to what I had paid in
February.

Clearly, the laziness of PLN meter-readers has caused material
losses to me, while I have been offered no compensation from PLN,
nor claimed compensation from PLN.

PLN imposes penalties for the late payment of electricity
bills. Likewise, it must also impose sanctions on, or arrange
compensation for its disappointing services. PLN should not just
raise its power rates while doing nothing about its disappointing
services.

PAHLEPI TAUFAN
Jakarta