Kilowatt-Hour — kWh
Energy & Electricity
kWh, or kilowatt-hour, is the unit of electrical energy PLN uses to calculate bills: the amount of electrical power (in kilowatts) multiplied by the duration of use (in hours). One kWh is equivalent to running a 1,000-watt load for one full hour. In the non-subsidized R-1 tariff class for Q1 2026, each kWh is priced at Rp 1,444.70 [PLN tariff adjustment Q1 2026].
Unlike kWp, which measures the peak capacity of a solar panel, kWh is a measure of the actual energy flowing to the load or grid. Every kWh you use is recorded on the PLN kWh meter and multiplied by the tariff for your customer class to produce the bill in rupiah.
The non-subsidized R-1 household tariff (1,300 VA and 2,200 VA) for Q1 2026 was set at Rp 1,444.70 per kWh [PLN tariff adjustment Q1 2026], while the R-2 class (3,500-5,500 VA) and R-3 class (≥6,600 VA) are at Rp 1,699.53 per kWh. This tariff is adjusted by PLN each quarter following the tariff adjustment formula, which accounts for the USD exchange rate, the oil price (ICP), inflation, and the coal reference price (HBA).
A practical conversion for PLTS owners: every kWh the solar panel produces and self-consumes directly reduces consumption from the PLN grid, and therefore reduces the bill by the prevailing tariff per kWh.
Indonesian PLTS Application Example
A home with a Rp 1.2 million monthly bill in the R-1 2,200 VA class uses about 830 kWh per month [PLN tariff adjustment Q1 2026]. If a 3.5 kWp PLTS system produces 380 kWh per month and all of it is self-consumed, the theoretical bill savings reach Rp 549 thousand — about 46% of the original bill before accounting for night-time loads.
Sources & References
- Tariff Adjustment Q1 2026 — PT PLN (Persero) (2026)
- Permen ESDM No. 28/2016 jo Permen ESDM No. 7/2024 — electricity tariff framework — Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) (2024)
See Also
kWp
(Kilowatt-Peak)kWp, or kilowatt-peak, is the unit of nominal capacity of a solar panel measured at Standard Test Conditions (STC) — irradiance of 1000 W/m², a cell temperature of 25°C, and air mass 1.5 [IEC 61215]. In Indonesia, with a PSH range of 3.5-5.0 kWh/m²/day [NASA POWER 1984-2023], the kWp figure describes the theoretical peak output, not the actual daily electricity production under tropical field conditions.
PSH
(Peak Sun Hours)PSH, or Peak Sun Hours, is the number of equivalent sunlight hours during which an average irradiance of 1,000 W/m² is received on a horizontal surface per day. Its unit is kWh/m²/day. PSH is the core variable determining how many kWh per day each kWp of solar panel produces at a given location.
Net Metering
Net metering is an electricity accounting scheme that credits the surplus energy a rooftop solar (PLTS Atap) system exports to the PLN grid against the customer's bill. In Indonesia, this scheme has been abolished for new customers since [Permen ESDM No. 2 Tahun 2024] took effect on 31 January 2024.