TN power demand falls by one-third, thanks to lockdown

On Thursday evening, the peak power demand fell sharply by 29 per cent to 11,177 MW from 15,664 MW a week earlier on March 19. The power supply also crashed to 243 million units (MU) from 345 MU.

While the State’s peak electricity demand has come down with almost all the commercial and industrial units shutting down, domestic consumption, which generates comparatively lower tariffs, has gone up. Of the total electricity demand load pattern, industrial and agricultural consumption accounts for over 37 per cent and 14 per cent respectively. Commercial electricity consumption accounts for about 11 per cent. Domestic electricity connections account for around 30 per cent of the State’s energy consumption, aånd contribute towards a bulk of average aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses of 13.54 per cent.

Despite the state government initiating measures on March 15 to shut educational institutions, malls, cinemas, amusement parks, and issued direction to IT companies to provide work from home option to prevent the spread of covid-19, the power demand continued to hover around 15,000 MW-15,400 MW.

After the Janata Curfew last Sunday, the industries started to suspend production as part of the COVID-19 prevention measure. On Sunday, the peak demand was 11,509 MW. The day after, it went up to 13,536 MW. But after Tamil Nadu decided to impose a lockdown from Tuesday evening, the power demand fell sharply below 12,000 MW mark to 11,892 MW. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the nationwide shutdown, it went down further to 11,190 MW and 11,177 MW on Wednesday and Thursday. In contrast, Tamil Nadu’s average peak power demand in March 2019 was 15,354 MW with the maximum being 16,129 MW and lowest being 13,879 MW. “The closure of both bigger and smaller industries have led to a drastic drop in the power demand. We have shut down the thermal power stations belonging to both the State and central sectors due to less demand,” said a senior Tangedco official.

As on Friday morning, seven units of Tuticorin and Mettur thermal power stations, with a combined generation capacity of 1,860 MW, have been kept under reserve shut down due to fwall in demand. Similarly, two 500 MW units of Vallur and NTPL units belonging to central generation stations have been shut down.

At present, the State’s power demand is driven by the domestic consumers and some essential service industries like refineries, the Tangedco official said. “Normally, the power demand from domestic consumers during summer months would be mainly because of air conditioner usage. With the closure of the educational institutions and industries, many people are using the ACs during the daytime itself,” the official said.

All domestic low tension (LT) power consumers, whose reading date falls between March 22 and April 14, can pay their electricity bill based on the previous bi-monthly current consumption bills, the Tangedco said on Friday.

Also, as a precautionary measure, Tangedco has decided to forego its right of disconnection for all LT service connections whose current consumption charges and other arrear payments have not been made during the period from March 22 to April 14. This is done in order to avoid the physical disconnection by field staff, it added in a circular.

The power consumers were requested to make use of the online payment facilities such as internet banking, mobile banking, payment gateway, BBPS, etc. offered by Tangedco and avoid visiting counters of the utility as a precautionary measure.

The payment made would be adjusted, if paid in excess or less, after ascertaining the reading during the next assessment of their current consumption bills, the State-owned power utility added in the statement.