Power consumption dips over 4 pc to 148.71 bn units in May on early arrival of monsoon

New Delhi, Jun 1 (PTI) India's power consumption dipped over 4 per cent to 148.71 billion units (BU) in May, compared to a year-ago period, mainly due to unseasonal rains and early arrival of monsoon.
     Power consumption was recorded at 155.15 BU in May, 2024, according to official data.
     Experts believe the early arrival of monsoon as well as seasonal rains affected the power consumption as well as demand in May.
     According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the monsoon hit the Kerala coast on May 24, 2025, eight days ahead of its normal schedule.
     The unseasonal rains also reduced consumption of electricity especially by cooling appliances like desert coolers and air conditioners during May, the experts said.
     The highest supply in a day (peak power demand met) in May dipped to about 231 GW last month, from around 250 GW in May 2024.
     The peak power demand touched an all-time high of about 250 GW in May 2024.
     The previous all-time high peak power demand of 243.27 GW was recorded in September 2023.
     According to government estimates, peak power demand is expected to touch 277 GW in the summer of 2025.
     Experts said that power demand and consumption will be steady in the coming months.
     According to the Meteorological Department, India is expected to experience hotter-than-usual temperatures from April to June, with more heatwave days in Central and Eastern India and the Northwestern plains.
     Minimum temperatures will be higher than usual across most of the country, except for a few places in the Northwest and the Northeast, where temperatures may be normal or slightly below normal, the IMD had said.
     The heat wave arrived much earlier in 2025 than last year. In 2024, India reported its first heat wave in Odisha on April 5, but parts of the Konkan and coastal Karnataka experienced heat waves as early as February 27-28 this year.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)