India's Power Consumption Grows 2.6% in July

New Delhi, Aug 1 (PTI) Power consumption in the country grew marginally by 2.6 per cent year-on-year to 153.63 billion units (BU) in July, mainly due to reduced usage of cooling appliances amid heavy downpour in several parts of the country.

Power consumption was recorded at 149.65 BU in July, 2024, according to official data.

Experts believe the heavy rains across the country due to active monsoon affected the power consumption as well as demand in July.

The highest supply in a day (peak power demand met) in July dipped slightly to about 220.59 GW last month, from around 226.63 GW in July, 2024.

Peak power demand had 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 was expected to touch 277 GW in the summer of 2025.

However, during this summer season (from April onwards), the record peak power demand was 242.77GW in June.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the monsoon hit the Kerala coast on May 24, 2025, eight days ahead of schedule.

The widespread rains across the country reduced consumption of electricity especially by cooling appliances like desert coolers and air conditioners during June, experts said.

According to the Meteorological Department, India was expected to experience hotter-than-usual temperatures from April to June, with more heat wave 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 heatwave 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.