PLN launches energy-saving campaign

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 09/15/2006 8:13 AM  |  Jakarta

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Tired of power thefts and inefficient energy usage in the area, state power company PLN launched Thursday an electricity efficiency campaign at Nagrak state elementary school in Tangerang's Tigaraksa district.

The Gerakan Generasi Muda Peduli Energi dan Lingkungan (Youth Movement for Energy and the Environment) campaign is aimed at building awareness about energy conservation in children who live in the Greater Jakarta and Tangerang electricity distribution area.

""We hope that each household is willing to save at least 50 watts per day and start using energy-saving lamps,"" said PLN Greater Jakarta and Tangerang area general manager Fachmi Muchtar.

The campaign started with the distribution of energy-saving how-to books to students.

""If students have already been introduced to an energy saving program (at a young age) they will always remember,"" he said, adding that educating children instead of adults was considered to be more effective in spreading new ideas.

The campaign is being trialed at the Nagrak school, and will later be launched at 80 other schools. Environmental issues will also be raised as part of the program.

""We did a survey a found that the school was full of trash. This shows that people here are indifferent to the environment,"" he said.

Organizing committee chairman M. Satidi Askara said the drive was aimed at encouraging the public to be more active in using energy efficiently and caring for the environment.

""If it (energy-saving) does not start, it means that the state will always have to subsidize the production cost of electricity,"" he said.

Every kilowatt per hour of electricity costs the state Rp 900 but is sold at a subsidized price of Rp 600 to consumers, he added.

""On top of the subsidies, the state loses Rp 85 billion through power thefts by residents of the Jakarta Raya and Tangerang distribution area,"" he said.

Around 3.2 million PLN subscribers are registered in the area. Of these, 16,000 of them were found to have stolen power at some point in the last year, Askara said, adding that PLN was currently pursuing the cases through the courts.

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