An electric vehicle (EV) charging at the KSEB charging station at Vyttila.
| Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat
Electricity consumption in the State hit a record 108.22 million units (mu) on Saturday, prompting the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to urge consumers to avoid charging their e-vehicles during the evening hours when electricity demand is at its highest.
108.22 mu is an all-time high for the State. The maximum demand during the evening hours also rose to a record 5,364 megawatts (MW) on Saturday. Of this, power purchases from outside the State accounted for 2,800 MW, KSEB officials said.
On Sunday, the State-run power utility advised the consumers to either charge their vehicles during the day time or after midnight.
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“The number of electric vehicles is witnessing an increase in the State. Due to the charging of e-vehicles at night, the load on the transformers go up leading to blown fuses and power outages. Ideally, e-vehicles should be charged either after midnight or during the daytime,” the KSEB said.
Sweltering summer temperatures have driven power consumption up in the State, given the dependence on air-conditioners. Kerala has been steadily recording a daily consumption of 100 million units (mu) since March, although usage is slightly lesser on Sundays.
At the same time, the southern State is also witnessing a spurt in e-vehicles on the roads, especially two-wheelers, given the push for e-mobility.
Since consumption levels began their upward trek in March, the KSEB has been repeatedly urging consumers to avoid the use of non-essential electrical equipment such as pumps and washing machines between 6 p.m. and midnight. The KSEB has also urged consumers to turn off automatic pump sets during this period.
The previous all-time high daily consumption and maximum demand were recorded on April 3, respectively 107.76 mu and 5359 MW.