Electricity demand rises for the sixth straight month in February
With the sharp rise in temperatures in northern India, the average daily power demand in the country increased 3.4% to 3.7 billion units (BUs) on year in February, offsetting the impact of lower demand recorded in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
On an absolute basis, the 104.7 BU of electricity consumption in February was 0.1% lower than last year, mainly because 2020 was a leap year with an additional day in the month.
February marked the sixth straight month to record an annual rise in electricity demand. Electricity usage in states like Gujarat, Punjab, Maharashtra and West Bengal, where industrial and commercial requirement comprise more than 40% of the demand, grew by 3.9%, 5.5%, 1% and 9.1%, respectively. Power supply in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala fell 4.3%, 3.2, 1.2% and 0.4%, respectively, compared with February 2020.
