Goa, Maharashtra & Gujarat Lead in Daily Power Supply Hours

Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat emerge as frontrunners in providing the highest daily power supply to consumers. The Ministry of Power recently furnished state-wise details of the average hours of power supply each state and Union Territory were able to give to its consumers. The ministry also said that the national average power supply in FY24 was around 21.9 hours per day in rural areas and about 23.4 hours per day in urban areas.

“The national average power supply in FY24 was around 21.9 hours per day in rural areas and about 23.4 hours per day in urban areas. This marks an improvement from approximately 22 hours in 2023-24. In several states, including Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, rural areas received an average supply of over 23 hours per day,” he said in a written response to a question about the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020, and whether they mandate 24-hour power supply in rural and urban areas.

Clarifying the rule, he added, “As per the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020, distribution licensees are required to provide 24x7 power to all consumers. However, State Electricity Regulatory Commissions can set lower supply hours for specific consumer categories, such as agricultural users. These rules apply across all states, covering both urban and rural areas.”

States Supplying Less Than 20 Hours Rural & Urban Power/Day

Discussing power supply trends across states, he noted that in FY23-24, Nagaland, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana recorded an average rural power supply of less than 20 hours per day. In contrast, Gujarat stood out with 23.9 hours of daily power supply in urban areas and 23.7 hours in rural areas.

Some states performed exceptionally well, delivering nearly 24x7 power in both rural and urban regions. These included Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Delhi, and Gujarat.

Among states with the highest rural power supply (above 23 hours per day), Andhra Pradesh provided 23.6 hours in rural areas and 23.9 hours in urban areas. Goa supplied 23.8 hours in rural and 23.9 hours in urban areas, while Gujarat recorded 23.7 hours in rural and 23.9 hours in urban areas. Maharashtra saw 23.8 hours in rural and 23.9 hours in urban areas, Odisha reported 23.4 hours in rural and 23.7 hours in urban areas, Tamil Nadu had 23.5 hours in rural and 24 hours in urban areas, and West Bengal provided 23.4 hours in rural and 23.9 hours in urban areas.

While these states led in rural power supply, the lowest rural power supply (below 20 hours per day) was recorded in Nagaland, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana. The blame in most cases falls on a creaking distribution system, that is simply not being upgraded fast enough.