NEW DELHI: India may have achieved 100% household electrification but 28% of consumers remain “dissatisfied” over the quality of electricity, namely voltage fluctuations and power surges, and the resultant damage to appliances, according to a survey of utilities by government think-tank Niti Ayog, The Rockefeller Foundation and Smart Power India.
“Such fluctuations can damage electrical appliances, which means either a higher additional cost for customers in terms of installing voltage stabilizers or decisions not to invest in electrical appliances that can be potentially damaged. Decisions to avoid certain appliances also reduce customers’ electricity consumption, which causes utilities to lose opportunities for revenue that could be charged at the same overhead expenses,” says the survey.
The problem increases during summer when consumers place a higher emphasis on quality of electricity, with only 47% of the households that reported maximum voltage fluctuations saying they were satisfied, says the survey.
Overall, only 55% of the more than 25,000 surveyed customers expressed satisfaction with the quality of their electricity supply. Urban areas fared better with 66% of consumers expressing satisfaction with the quality of electricity against 51% in rural areas.
