India’s power usage up by 10% in April first half

Power consumption in India has increased around 10 per cent in the first half of April 2024 compared to the same period last year. In all, 70.66 billion units (BU) of power have been utilised in the period spanning April 1 to 15 this year, while the figure stood at 64.24 million units (MU) in the first half of April 2023, according to data furnished by the power ministry.

The highest supply of power in a day, in order to meet peak demand, was around 218 GW in the first half of April 2024 as compared to the same period last year when the demand was around 206 GW.

With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting above-normal maximum temperatures in the country this summer, and given the forecast of an extended heat wave in the coming months, the power ministry expects peak power demand to reach around 260 GW this year. This would smash the record set last year, when power demand in India scaled a historic high of 243 GW during the month of September.

Right now, rains in many regions of the country have acted as a coolant, temporarily reducing the use of appliances such as air conditioners and coolers. Experts and industry watchers however feel the overall rise in power consumption in April shows Indians are increasingly taking to various electronic gadgets that consume power, in sync with habits of the developed world. The upward trend in the use of power marks improvement in economic activities and a positive shift in consumer behaviour.

An area where consumption of power is gradually increasing is also the transport sector, with the rise of electric vehicles (EVs). Over the past decade or so, India has seen a growth in the number of electric cars, electric buses, e-rickshaws and electric locomotives for the railways, which has marked an upward surge in power consumption, too.