PLN to compensate 5.5% of customers for blackout

Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

State power firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) has decided to compensate approximately 5.5 percent of customers that were affected on Thursday by a massive blackout in Jakarta, West Java and Banten.

Only 475 customers in Jakarta and Tangerang would be eligible to get a 10 percent reduction in next month's bill according to PLN, the company said in a statement on Sunday.

The total amount of the bill cuts is estimated to be Rp 3.5 million (US$350).

The service standards for Jakarta and Tangerang, which serves 3.1 million houses or buildings, is between six and seven power disruptions or cumulative time of between 24 hours and 25 hours in a month, depending on the area.

"Customers that have blackouts of 10 percent more than the standard have the right to compensation of a 10 percent reduction in power costs," said the statement.

Jakarta and Banten turned completely dark for between 1.5 hours and 12 hours last Thursday, while other parts of Java were also affected for up to 1.5 hours by the blackout, which was caused by a "glitch" in the island's interconnection system.

PLN said that 2.21 million people, or a third of its billing addresses in West Java and Banten had experienced blackouts. Some 293,235 customers will be compensated, with the amount reaching Rp 876 million.

The standards in this distribution area are between two and 40 power cuts or cumulative blackouts of between six and 48 hours per month.