Himachal Pradesh's Power Savings Surge: A Rs. 6.72 Crore Triumph

In a strategic maneuver to cut costs, the Himachal Pradesh Government has succeeded in saving Rs. 6.72 crore annually by rationalizing the electricity contract demand across 913 government connections. These cover various categories including agriculture, commercial, and industrial supplies. The optimization effort reduced monthly demand charges from Rs. 2.05 crore to Rs. 1.49 crore.

A significant example of this is the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in Shimla, which cut its contract demand from 1350 kVA to 858 kVA, generating savings of about Rs. 24 lakh yearly. Directed by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the HP State Electricity Board Ltd. (HPSEBL) recalibrated the contract demand to align with actual usage.

Under expedited supervision, meetings were held to ensure contract demands did not exceed 10 percent above the prior year's peak usage. The process culminated in the execution of new A&A forms by June 2025, realizing a savings of Rs. 56 lakh in the first month post-revision, signaling broader fiscal prudence initiatives in the works.