"I believe that the younger generation will be more open to electric stoves because they are easier to be used," he said at a press conference at the headquarters of state-owned electricity provider PT PLN here on Wednesday.
According to him, there has been a change in the lifestyle of the younger generation.
"Currently, there is a lifestyle trend where young people live alone or together with their partners in apartments," he said.
The SOEs Ministry and PLN are pushing the electric stove program in apartments and houses built by state-owned companies.
Regarding the use of stoves that use liquified petroleum gas (LPG), he said that the government will not be able to eliminate their use with immediate effect because there are lower-income people that still depend on gas for fuel.
The infrastructure and ecosystem cannot be eliminated instantly because they are a part of Indonesia's economy.
Therefore, efforts are being made to convert coal into dimethyl ether (DME) through the gasification process, the minister said.
"We need to maintain this transition where there is a balance between LPG, DME, and electric stoves," he added.
At the same press conference, president director of PLN, Darmawan Prasodjo, said that for every kilogram of LPG shifted to electric stove, there will be a cost-saving of Rp8 thousand.
"Of course, the potential of saving can shift the use of imported energy to using domestic energy," he added.
In addition, the electric stove program is also expected to convert expensive energy into cheap energy so that it is affordable for everyone.
For that reason, PLN is supporting the electric stove program by considering the energy balance, based on the inputs of the SOEs Ministry and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.
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Translator: Aji Cakti, Raka Adji
Editor: Sri Haryati
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