India’s power consumption increased by 3.8 per cent to 142.74 billion units (BUs) in January, up from 132.5 BUs in the same month last year, driven by higher use of heating appliances during intense cold conditions across large parts of north India.
Government data shows that peak power demand met in January rose to 245.42 GW, compared with 237.31 GW recorded in January 2025, reflecting elevated electricity requirements during the winter spell. The country had earlier touched an all-time high peak power demand of about 250 GW in May 2024, surpassing the previous record of 243.27 GW set in September 2023.
Experts attributed the January surge in demand and consumption to increased usage of geysers, room heaters and blowers, as cold conditions intensified across northern regions in December and continued into January, accompanied by spells of rain and snowfall in some areas. Extreme cold weather, they said, directly pushed up electricity demand in several parts of the country.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has indicated a shift in weather patterns ahead. The agency said India is likely to experience a warmer February with below-normal rainfall, particularly in the Himalayan region, noting that a drier winter is increasingly being linked to climate change.
