05 October,2016 06:19 PM IST | | Shashank Rao
Owing to steady drop in temperature, Mumbai’s average power consumption for this month has reduced from 3,200 MW to 2,700 MW
The nip in the air may have set us off on the path to reduce our carbon footprints. According to a power consumption monitoring body, Mumbai's average commercial and household electricity usage in October has dropped from 3,200 megawatt (MW) to 2,700 MW as of this morning this year.
Usually, Octobers are muggy, with the southwest monsoon receding. The longer monsoon this time around has brought with it a steady drop in temperature, possibly making Mumbaikars giving air-conditioners and fans a miss.
In comparison, a cricket match under the floodlights of Wankhede stadium uses up 4-5 MW of electricity.
As per figures collated by the Maharashtra Load Dispatch Centre - a government body that monitors the use of minute-by-minute electricity - the power consumed by Mumbai in October has dropped drastically. It shows that the hourly consumption of power seen in the last three days varied from 1,500 MW to 2,900 MW. "This drop in consumption is good for the consumers as it would reflect in their electricity bills," said a BEST official.
The island city's power demand is around 800 MW, which has now come down to 650-700 MW this month. At 1 pm on October 1, Mumbai consumed 2,887 MW - the highest for that day - while it dropped to 1,752 MW at midnight. The consumption further dropped on October 2, ranging between 2,000 MW and 2,200 MW from noon to 3 pm. It again dipped to 1,600 MW by midnight. On October 3, it ranged from 1,545 MW to 2,900 MW. This morning, the consumption tracker reported a dip to 2,700 MW.
"There has been a drastic drop in power consumption throughout Mumbai, which is as good as that found during the winter," said Ashok Pendse, a power expert.
