No more surprise power cuts? Kerala Electricity Commission tells KSEB to inform consumers first

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) has ruled that the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) cannot impose electricity restrictions arbitrarily and must inform consumers in advance about planned power cuts. The Commission said the public should be notified of the timing and duration of load shedding, with efforts made to keep outages in the same area at a fixed time throughout the week for better predictability.

The observations came during a hearing on KSEB's request for permission to purchase 140 million units of electricity worth around Rs 840 crore over one year to prevent prolonged power shortages.

Commission Chairman T.K. Jose and member B. Pradeep said KSEB is generally aware of the next day's power deficit by the previous evening and therefore has sufficient time to issue advance notices. The Commission also questioned whether the utility has an effective SMS alert system to notify affected consumers about outages.

The Commission suggested that section officers should be responsible for informing residents about which feeders would be switched off and at what time during emergencies. It also said that if electricity becomes available through the real-time power market or if demand falls, the duration of power restrictions should be reduced accordingly.

Commission criticises planning failures

While acknowledging the difficult power situation across the country, the Commission strongly criticised KSEB for what it described as poor planning and administrative delays.

It noted that KSEB's Standing Committee approved electricity purchase tenders on July 1, followed by approval from the High Officials' Core Committee on July 2. However, the application seeking regulatory approval was submitted only 14 days later.

Chairman T.K. Jose questioned why it took two weeks for the application to reach the Commission despite the Electricity Bhavan being only a few kilometres away. The Commission described the delay as unacceptable, particularly when consumers were already facing power restrictions.

The Commission also criticised KSEB for imposing load shedding even when electricity was reportedly available through the power exchange. It further expressed dissatisfaction that the utility had not properly assessed the financial impact of purchasing 200 MW of electricity at Rs 5.96 per unit despite employing a large finance team.

Daytime discount proposal

The Commission pointed out that Kerala currently has surplus electricity during daytime hours, resulting in around one crore units of available power going unused each day while fixed charges continue to be paid.

With an additional 200 MW of electricity now being purchased, daytime surplus could increase further to around 1.2 crore units daily.

To encourage greater daytime electricity consumption, the Commission proposed increasing the existing tariff discount from 10% to 25%. It observed that such a move could improve consumption patterns and reduce financial losses, while also expressing disappointment that officials had been reluctant to implement the recommendation despite repeated requests.

Questions over battery storage and demand forecasting

The Commission also sought an update on battery storage projects intended to store surplus solar power but said KSEB failed to provide a clear response.

It further criticised the utility's demand forecasting methods, stating that electricity demand estimates prepared in April were not scientifically revised to account for the exceptional conditions experienced in July.

The Commission approved the purchase of an additional 200 MW of electricity on Saturday, with KSEB stating that procurement would begin on Sunday.

However, it warned that if rainfall remains insufficient or adequate electricity is unavailable through the real-time market to bridge daily shortages, power control measures and load shedding may continue.