The state government announced giving 300 units of electricity free of cost to the domestic sector every month, providing relief to people in 2022. When electricity was made available for free, people started misusing it. On the one hand, while the electricity demand began to increase in the state, the number of people taking new electricity connections started to grow wildly.
In just two years, about three lakh new connections were established causing the consumption to be increased by 16 percent. Misusing the government scheme and the rules of Powercom, people started getting two connections installed in the same house. This way people could take 600 units of electricity for free. If we look at the figures, more than three lakh domestic connections have been given in the state in just two years and in this way, the electricity consumption also increased to 2,972 million units in a year.
As soon as the paddy transplantation began, the demand for electricity in the state also broke all records. On Wednesday, this demand reached 16,078 megawatts for the first time in history.
The situation became such that Powercom was sweating to meet the electricity demand. Due to the difference of 601 megawatts in the demand and supply of electricity, people had to go on undeclared strikes.
Consumption increased as soon as free electricity was available
With the announcement of providing 300 units of electricity free of cost by the government in the year 2022, the electricity consumption for this category increased to 17,510 million units in the year 2022-23. In this way, the electricity consumption of the domestic category increased by 2,972 million units i.e. 20 percent in a single year.
In 2023-24, this demand increased to 17,851 million units. During the current financial year 2024-25, the demand for electricity for the domestic category is estimated to be 20,348 million units. In this way, there has been an increase of 16 percent in domestic electricity consumption in two years.
Power suppliers share concerns
Aside from Powercom, other power sector leaders have started expressing concern over the ever-increasing demand for electricity in the state. Due to this, they have asked the state government to review the free electricity scheme. All India Power Engineers Federation and PSEB Engineers Association have put their views before the Punjab government. Power Engineers Federation Chairman said that the free electricity scheme proves to be a burden on the power sector. Due to this, the demand for electricity increases in an unplanned manner. Due to the unreasonably high demand, there are chances of disruption in the power transmission system.
Powercom rules say that in double-storey houses, a separate meter can be installed. Taking advantage of this, sometimes individual members of the family got separate meters installed in their name at the house. In this way, suddenly 600 units of electricity could be used for free. This is how the free electricity scheme is being exploited.