New Delhi: In April 2023, India experienced a decline in power consumption for the second consecutive month, dipping by 1.1% to 130.57 billion units. This was due to widespread rains across the country, prompting citizens to use fewer cooling appliances compared to the same period in the previous year when power consumption stood at 132.02 billion units.
Similarly, power consumption was also affected in March this year due to the heavy rainfall. During that month, power consumption was recorded at 126.82 BU, which is lower than the 128.47 BU recorded during the same period in the previous year.
Experts have stated that if there had been no rains in March and April, the power consumption would have displayed significant growth in these two months. This is because the rains reduced the demand for electricity as people used fewer cooling appliances compared to the previous year.
However, experts are optimistic that power consumption and demand will rise from May onwards due to further improvement in economic activities and a rise in temperatures during the summer season. According to government data, the peak power demand met, which is the highest supply in a day, rose to 215.88 GW in April 2023. This is higher than the 207.23 GW recorded in April 2022 and the 182.37 GW recorded in April 2021.
As per the power ministry’s estimates, the peak power demand is expected to touch 229 GW during the summer season. This is a positive sign for India’s power sector, which has been grappling with challenges like transmission and distribution losses, power theft, and rising fuel prices.
In conclusion, India’s power consumption dipped in April 2023 due to widespread rains, but experts are hopeful that it will recover from May onwards. The rise in temperatures during the summer season is expected to increase the demand for electricity, which bodes well for India’s power sector.
