PLN implements energy-saving program

Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

To reduce electricity demand in the provinces of South Sumatra, Jambi and Bengkulu, state electricity company PLN has started to implement a demand-side management program.

Head of PLN Palembang branch Syafri Djamil told a media conference here on Friday that the program was targeted at PLN domestic customers who had a supply below 900 watts.

"The program has been established for the benefit of the public, which has been badly affected by the recent hike in electricity prices," he said.

Through the program, PLN is offering a Rp 3,000 (36 U.S. cent) discount for each energy-saving light bulb bought by PLN customers, with a maximum purchase of three bulbs per customer per year.

The program has been widely promoted through TV ads, and has been carried out in West, Central and East Java provinces since March.

"Through the program, PLN branches in South Sumatra, Jambi and Bengkulu provinces will be able to save some 101 megawatts per year. It also means we'll save some US$101 million in government expenditure on electricity production," he said.

"If all customers used the energy-saving bulbs, we could save more."

PLN has estimated that if all customers used the bulbs, it would be able to save some Rp 54 billion per year.

Syafri said that the estimate was based on an assumption that some 892,429 household customers in the three provinces, from a total of 1.2 million, would use the energy-saving bulbs.

The heads of PLN's South Sumatra, Jambi and Bengkulu branches signed on Friday a business contract with GE (General Electric) Lighting Indonesia to buy 535,470 nine-watt, energy-saving light bulbs.

The contract was to optimize use of electricity in the three provinces. The contract was also part of PLN's program nationwide in anticipation of an imbalance between electricity supply and demand in the country.

President director of GE Lighting Indonesia Dono Prihadi said that the contract was the first between PLN for the three provinces and the company.

He added that GE had so far sold some 30,000 energy-saving light bulbs through the program in West, Central and East Java. He stated that the company had not signed a business contract with PLN in the three provinces, but declined to elaborate.