The government plans to roll out an electric stove program in 2027. Why did a similar initiative fail in 2022?
For Lika Wakhid, a private-sector employee living in East Jakarta, using an electric stove was only a brief experience. She used a single-burner electric stove in early 2024 while living in Surabaya, East Java.
Less than a year later, she switched back to a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stove. Before moving to the capital at the end of 2024, she gave the electric stove to a neighbor.
“Electric stoves look neater and there’s no need to install and remove regulators, but cooking tends to take longer,” Lika said on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
Lika has no plans to return to using an electric stove, even though the government is preparing an electric stove program for 2027. The transition would require special cookware and additional spending on prepaid electricity tokens.
As long as LPG remains available, the 29-year-old says gas stoves will remain her household’s preferred option.
“However, if the government makes electric stoves mandatory, I hope there will be electricity tariff subsidies,” she said.
The government plans to launch an induction electric stove program in 2027. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has allocated Rp815.56 billion for the initiative. However, Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia has yet to disclose details, including how many units will be distributed.
Previously, the government introduced a program in 2022 to convert LPG stoves to induction electric stoves in an effort to reduce LPG imports and absorb excess electricity supply. However, the initiative under the administration of President Joko Widodo failed after facing resistance from various groups.
In an interview with Tempo on October 7, 2022, PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo said the company would redesign the program.
Mukroni, Chairman of the Koperasi Warung Tegal Nusantara (Kowantara), urged the government to implement the transition gradually. Speaking to Tempo, he said warteg operators are not ready to fully switch to electric stoves.
The transition would require investment in new cooking equipment and significantly higher electricity consumption. Most wartegs also require more than two burners for cooking.
“The government must provide certainty that electricity costs per kWh for micro-scale commercial cooking will be far cheaper than purchasing 3-kilogram LPG cylinders,” Mukroni said on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
He also called for government assistance in providing compatible cookware packages.
Similarly, Olo Berto Siahaan, Executive Director of Energy Watch, recommended a phased implementation focused initially on middle- and upper-income households.
To avoid another rejection like the one in 2022, he urged the government not to force lower-income groups to migrate immediately.
During the transition period, Olo said, the government should prioritize public education. In his view, a persuasive communication strategy would be more effective than presenting the program as a mandatory replacement for LPG stoves.
“If people understand the benefits, awareness can grow and they may choose to switch voluntarily,” he said.
Meanwhile, Aryanto Nugroho, National Coordinator of Publish What You Pay Indonesia, argued that the failure of the 2022 program was not primarily caused by technical issues or poor government communication.
Instead, he said, the problem was systemic and rooted in policy governance. One key issue was the top-down approach, which ultimately generated public resistance.
According to Aryanto, the 2027 program must be designed through meaningful consultation with beneficiary communities. It should also take into account accessibility and safety concerns for vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities.
“The government should not assume that simply providing stoves will solve the problem,” Aryanto said.
He further emphasized that the program should remain voluntary. If it targets low-income households, the government must first conduct audits of household electricity capacity.
Most electric stoves require relatively high power and cannot be used effectively in homes with only 450 VA or 900 VA electricity connections.
“The Rp815.56 billion budget should be allocated as a comprehensive package covering the stove itself, cookware, electricity capacity upgrades, and written guarantees that upgrading household electricity capacity will not result in the loss of subsidized electricity status,” Aryanto said.
Tempo sought further clarification from PLN regarding the 2027 electric stove program by contacting Gregorius Adi Trianto, Executive Vice President for Corporate Communications and Social Responsibility at PLN, on Wednesday.
Questions included the prioritization of target regions and lessons learned from the failed 2022 program. However, Gregorius did not respond to those questions.
In a written statement, he only said:
“As a state-owned enterprise operating in the electricity sector, PLN is fully prepared to support government policies promoting the use of electric stoves as part of efforts to strengthen national energy security.” ●
Source: Tempo