For the first time, electricity consumption in Kerala has crossed 100 million units (mu) on a Sunday.
The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) recorded a consumption of 103.34 mu on Sunday, April 7. The maximum demand during the evening hours also touched 5412 megawatt (MW) on Sunday which too is a record for the State’s power sector.
Usually, Sundays are lean days in terms of power consumption as offices, educational institutions, and many commercial enterprises are closed. Normally, electricity usage on Sundays tend to be five to seven mu lower than on other days.
In that context, the April 7 consumption is perhaps not that surprising, considering the fact that Kerala had logged an all-time high of 108.22 mu only the day before (April 6, Saturday).
Electricity consumption has been rising this summer, driven by the summer heat. The State had recorded above 90 mu consumption on all Sundays in March. To put things in context, the all-time high recorded in the 2023 summer was 102.99 mu.
Customer calls
The KSEB has denied allegations that its staff manning section offices are keeping aside the receivers of land phones to avoid complaints regarding power outages.
According to the KSEB, the section offices, each of which cater to between 15,000 to 25,000 consumers, have only one landphone. During power disruptions, several consumers try to contact the section office at the same time. Only one person will get through, and the others will get a busy signal, causing the misunderstanding, the KSEB said in a statement.
KSEB helpline numbers: 9496001912 (WhatsApp) 1912 (Centralised call centre)
