Time-of-day metering and other measures like supply side management are expected to restrict peak electricity use by about 10 per cent, says Kerala State Electricity Board, which introduced ToD metering from Monday for around 11,000 high-end customers.
High-end customers are those who consume more than 500 units of power a month and they are being given an incentive to shift their power use from the peak hours — between 6 p. m. and 10 p. m., to off-peak hours, said a senior KSEB official.
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The Board has divided electricity use into two time zones to bill power use based on the time of the day during which power is consumed. The time zones are: 6 a. m. to 6 p. m., which is the normal or off-peak period and 6 p. m. to 10 p. m., which is the peak period. Shifting consumption to off-peak hours or normal period will result in the customer paying only 90 per cent of the actual power cost under the ToD metering regime whereas peak hour consumption will invite 20 per cent more charges.
The Board feels that the incentive is good enough for discerning customers to change their power use habits.
The Board charges Rs. 6.50 per unit from the high-end customers.
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However, this rate will now be applicable only for electricity used during the off-peak or normal hours.
The peak time consumption will, from now on, cost Rs. 7.80 per unit. The ToD metres have already been installed for the high-end customers.
The peak time demand for power in the State now stands at roughly 55 to 60 million units per day, said the KSEB official.