Power consumption in the country rose nearly 47 percent in the first week of April to 28.34 billion units (BU), over the corresponding period a year ago, showing a strong recovery in industrial and commercial demand for electricity, according to the power ministry data. Power consumption in the first week of April last year (from April 1 to 7, 2020) was estimated at 19.33 BU.
On the other hand, the peak power demand reached during the first week of this month, which is the highest supply in a day, remained well above the highest record of 132.20 GW in the same span in April 2020. Peak power demand reached 181.05 GW on April 7, 2021, a 27 percent increase over the 132.20 GW reported in the entire month of April last year, during the first week of this month.
In April of last year, power consumption fell to 84.55 BU from 110.11 BU in the same month in 2019. This was mostly due to less economic activities following the government’s imposition of a lockdown in the last week of March 2020, in order to contain the spread of deadly COVID-19. Similarly, peak power demand met fell to 132.20 GW in April last year from 176.81 GW in the same month last year, demonstrating the effect of the lockdown on economic activity.
Experts believe that the high growth in power consumption and demand in the first week of this month is mostly due to base erosion from the lockdown last year, but it clearly indicates a recovery in commercial and industrial demand. They did warn, however, that local lockdowns to stem the surge of COVID-19 positive cases could have a negative effect on power consumption, resulting in a drop in commercial and industrial demand for electricity in the coming days.
After a six-month hiatus, power usage increased by 4.6 percent year on year in September, and 11.6 percent in October. Power consumption growth slowed to 3.12% in November 2020, owing primarily to the early onset of winters. In December, power consumption increased by 4.5%, while it increased by 4.4% in January 2021.
Despite the fact that 2020 was a leap year, power consumption in February this year was higher at 104.11 BU compared to 103.81 BU the previous year. In March of this year, power consumption increased by nearly 23% to 121.51 BU, compared to 98.95 BU in the same month in 2020. During the entire fiscal year 2020-21, power consumption fell by 1% to 1,271.54 BU, down from 1,284.44 BU in 2019-20.
