DSM initiatives — A case study from Maharashtra

Indian utilities have been grappling with issues such as astronomically high aggregated technical & commercial losses which result from inefficient metering, billing and pilferage of electricity and due to inefficient use of electricity in sectors such as agriculture. Improving the financial health of utilities requires urgent measures at the user-end (demand side) i.e. in the power distribution. The demand also needs to be managed efficiently to bridge the huge gap between demand and supply. Reducing demand and consumption can reduce the stress on the generation and T&D systems at a fractional cost compared to the investment required to augment capacity. This paper discusses one of the successful Demand Side Management measures that were implemented by the state utility of Maharashtra in India.