The Hindu : Front Page : KSEB for daytime load-shedding

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Wednesday, Sep 10, 2008
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KSEB for daytime load-shedding

P. Venugopal

More restrictions proposed for domestic and Low Tension consumers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has sought further restrictions on power supply, including one-hour load-shedding during daytime.

The KSEB sought the permission of the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) for imposing these restrictions in a petition filed before the commission on Tuesday.

The KSEB said that even the latest decisions the KSERC had passed in an order on Monday would not fully help it tide over the present crisis on the power front. The KSERC itself had in the order instructed the KSEB to come out with specific proposals rather than generalised statements about the status of power availability.

Responding, the KSEB said the hydroelectric position in the State had improved slightly with the southwest monsoon picking up late in the season. But the flow of power from Central generating stations had come down still further due to reported shortage of coal and lignite in the country.

The latest assessment is: at the present level of power consumption, taking into consideration the existing restrictions and seasonal variations in demand, the KSEB would have to find ways and means to purchase 5 million units more of highly expensive power daily from generating stations running on liquid fuels.

The KSEB is ready to do that, but the cost would have to be passed on to the consumer. But, not all consumers would be able to afford that. The energy from costly stations could cost up to four times the present tariff rates for average domestic consumers.

As a pragmatic measure, the KSEB said no domestic consumer should be permitted to use more than 150 units a month — quite a liberal quantum if the consumers go slow on extravagant habits. Or else, they should pay the actual cost. All other Low Tension (LT) consumers also should cut their demand by 25 per cent of their average usual consumption of the pre-crisis days. For excess, the actual cost.

This restriction already exists for High Tension and Extra High Tension consumers in the State.

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