Story of a Worker Doing WFH Every Friday: Saves on Transport, but Electricity Bills Rise
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - While some people are still asleep, a civil servant (ASN) named Kiky (29) starts her activities early in the morning.
The morning becomes the busiest time for Kiky. She has to wake up at 04.00 WIB to prepare for work and make provisions for her husband.
Every day, Kiky is required to manage her time well so that all preparations for herself and her husband are completed before the departure time.
She always tries to leave early from her home in Cibubur to her office in Cipinang, East Jakarta, which is about 18 kilometres away.
“I usually leave early so as not to get too stuck in traffic, because if there’s traffic, it’s definitely there at several points on the way to the office. I try to arrive at the office around 07.30,” said Kiky when contacted by Kompas.com on Monday (4/5/2026).
However, that rushed routine no longer happens fully every week after the government implemented the work from home (WFH) programme every Friday for civil servants (ASN) and private workers to save energy since 1 April 2026.
Kiky admits that her morning rhythm during WFH is actually not much different because she still has to wake up at 04.00 WIB.
“The difference is that the atmosphere is calmer and not rushed. But she still has to be disciplined, because there are morning and afternoon attendance obligations via the Pusaka application,” she added.
After attending, work activities continue as usual, only now done from home. Therefore, the use of communication devices becomes more intensive.
Kiky emphasises that her job in public relations (humas) demands quick responses without regard to time, so she still has to be professional even when working from home.
Nevertheless, she believes working from home makes her feel more comfortable and flexible.
In addition to being more comfortable, Kiky also believes that WFH makes her expenses more economical, especially for transportation, coffee, and snacks.
On a daily basis, she goes to the office by motorbike or public transport. If using a motorbike, she spends around Rp25,000 on petrol for two days.
Meanwhile, if using public transport, namely the LRT Jabodebek, the cost is higher because she has to use motorbike taxis several times.
From her home to Ciracas LRT Station, Kiky has to take a motorbike taxi for Rp15,000. After that, she takes the LRT Jabodebek from Ciracas to Cawang, and takes another motorbike taxi for about Rp15,000 to the office.
“If calculated, by motorbike it’s around Rp12,500 per day, whereas by public transport it can be Rp40,000 to Rp50,000 per day. So, there is a noticeable difference,” explained Kiky.
During WFH, she does not need to spend on transportation and can just work from home using her laptop.
Although it saves on transportation costs, WFH actually adds to other expenses, especially electricity.