HOLOPIS.COM, JAKARTA – The Indonesian government will continue its Free Electricity Connection Assistance Program (BPBL) in 2026, providing free electricity connections to 225,000 low-income households, with priority given to underserved and remote regions.
“Children born in rural areas should not lose opportunities simply because they do not have access to electricity. The government will continue accelerating efforts to expand electricity access across the country,” Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said, Holopis.com reported, Tuesday (14/7).
The program is part of the government’s broader effort to expand electricity access for households that still lack a formal power connection.
According to data from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), 225,000 households have been targeted to receive assistance this year.
Java accounts for the largest share of beneficiaries, with 115,700 households, followed by Sumatra (60,700), Sulawesi (19,500), Kalimantan (17,200), Nusa Tenggara (9,200), and Maluku and Papua (2,700).
Under the program, each eligible household will receive a new 900-volt ampere (VA) electricity connection from state-owned utility PLN, a home electrical installation with three lighting points and one power outlet, an electrical safety certificate, and an initial prepaid electricity credit worth Rp100,000.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for the BPBL program, applicants must:
- Be registered in Indonesia’s National Integrated Social and Economic Database (DTSEN).
- Live in one of the country’s remote, frontier, or underdeveloped regions, commonly referred to as 3T areas.
- Obtain verification from a village head, subdistrict chief, or another authorized local official.
- Expanding Nationwide Electricity Access
The government said the BPBL program is intended to accelerate electricity access in communities that remain underserved by the national power grid.
As of the first quarter of 2026, Indonesia’s national electrification rate had reached 99.83 percent.
Officials say expanding electricity access not only improves infrastructure but also supports education, economic productivity, and household welfare.
Government data show the number of BPBL beneficiaries has increased steadily over the past several years, from 80,183 households in 2022 to 131,600 in 2023, 155,429 in 2024, and 220,845 in 2025, before reaching this year’s target of 225,000 households.
