Rising Electricity Usage in India Amidst Hot Weather

India’s electricity usage surged by more than 16 percent to 151.66 billion units in August compared to the same period last year, primarily due to increased use of cooling appliances during hot weather.

In August of the previous year, electricity consumption reached 130.39 billion units (BU), which was higher than the 127.88 BU recorded in August 2021, according to government statistics. Peak electricity demand met, representing the highest daily supply, reached 236.59 GW in August 2023. In August 2022, peak electricity supply reached 195.22 GW, and in August 2021, it reached 196.27 GW.

The Ministry of Power had forecasted that the country’s electricity demand would reach 229 GW during the summer season. However, demand did not reach the predicted level between April and July of this year due to unexpected rains. Peak supply, on the other hand, reached a new high of 223.29 GW in June and remained at 208.95 GW in July.

Experts in the industry believe that electricity consumption was impacted from March to June this year due to widespread rainfall across the country. They suggest that power consumption and demand increased in August, primarily due to high humidity and increased industrial activity in preparation for the festival season.

Peak electricity supply reached a new record high of 236.59 GW in August, hitting an all-time high of 239.97 GW on September 1, 2023. However, daily electricity supply slightly decreased to 238.62 GW on Saturday and 223.12 GW on Sunday as many businesses remained closed over the weekend.

Experts anticipate that power consumption and demand will remain stable in the coming months.