APDCL incurs 16.11% in AT&C losses while only 37% consumers has paid bill in FY 2021-22.

In the FY 2021-22, the DISCOM recovered over Rs. 278 crores in arrear and reduced the accumulated losses by over Rs. 300 crores.

The Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd has maintained a good electricity bill collection efficiency in the Financial Year 2021-22, despite only 37 percent of the total consumers in Assam have paid their electricity bills. A senior official of the state PSU told Business Northeast that APDCL is yet to recover an arrear of Rs. 1750 crores.

APDCL has a consumer base of around 66.05 lakhs. In the fiscal 2021-22 the revenue collection of APDCL was Rs. 6853 crores including bill, electricity duty, meter rent, etc. against the revenue demand of Rs. 6730 crores, thus getting a revenue collection of 102.1 percent. The consumer billing percentage was 95 percent excluding the ghost consumers and others.

In 2022-23 the highest consumer bill collection efficiency was in the month of August 2022, which was 49 percent, the highest ever.

APDCL has an arrear of over Rs. 1500 crores:

For the present fiscal of 2022-23 the company has an arrear of Rs. 1501.42 crores. The accumulated loss of APDCL as on 31 March, 2022 was Rs. 914.86 crores.

In the last financial year 2021-22, APDCL recovered Rs. 278.53 in arrears. During the same period, the accumulated losses reduced by Rs. 336.35 crores. The accumulated losses of the DISCOM at the end of the FY 2020-21 was Rs. 1251.21 crores.

A senior official said that the current arrear also includes many ghost consumers,  and also certain data misappropriation among others.

Aggregate Technical & Commercial losses of APDCL stands at 16.11 percent:

Transmission and Distribution (T&D) losses of APDCL for the FY 2021-22 was 17.5 percent. The current Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses are calculated at 16.11 percent. The billing percentage was 82.5.

In the last fiscal, the total power injection was 10298 megawatt hour (Mwh) of which 8495 Mwh was supplied to the consumers. “The T&D loss is inevitable. But the Central government is facilitating many projects to reduce this loss. APDCL is also ensuring only 3 and 4 star transformers to bring down losses incurred in T&D,” said an official.

“Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has asked us to reduce the AT&C loss from the current 16.11 percent to 15 percent. This will increase the profits of APDCL and when done Assam will be in a good position in the country,” he added.

Peak Electricity requirement in Assam:

Data provided by APDCL shows that the electricity requirement during off peak period in the Winter is between 700-1200 MW of which the state generates 200 MW, and in the peak period is 1200-1800 MW of which the state generates 250 MW.

In Summer, the off peak requirement is between 1300-1800 MW of which 300 MW is generated in the state; the peak requirement is 1800-2350 MW of which the state generates 350 MW.

However, there has been significant increase in electricity consumption in the months of July and August this year due to scorching heat and less rainfall. The highest peak requirement recorded this year was 2354 MW. (In India the electricity demand is calculated for a 15 minutes period.)

Loss in Procurement of Renewable energy:

Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) mandates that all electricity distribution licensees should purchase or produce a minimum specified quantity of their requirements from Renewable Energy Sources. This is as per the Indian Electricity Act, 2003. The State Electricity Regulatory Commissions fix the minimum RPO for the State. 

The Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission (AERC) mandates that of the total electricity generated (through Distribution Licensee, Open Access Consumer, and Captive consumer), for the FY 2021-22, 9 percent was to be from non-solar renewable sources, and 8 percent solar source.

However, 3.60 percent of the total power consumed by the state in FY 2021-22 is through renewable energy. APDCL procured 432.15 MW of renewable energy.

“This is not sufficient as per RPO. Although we have Power Purchase Agreements to procure the mandated renewable power, it is not available for purchase with the grids we are in agreement with. But we have to pay the fixed charges and also pay a penalty for not fulfilling the mandate by buying certificates of procurement (at a lesser rate),” said a senior official of APDCL.

Reportedly, APDCL incurred Rs. 78-80 crores losses annually in procurement of renewable energy.

“Now of course Assam will be generating 3000 MW of solar energy,” the official added.

Power Purchase Agreements of APDCL:

The Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd. has 31 Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for a total of 2433 MW. In FY 2021-22, the expenses on PPAs amounted to Rs. 4167 crores.

Below is a detail list of the PPAs:

“Of the demanded 2443 MW, APDCL receives around 1650 MW in peak hours during summer, and around 1300-1400 MW in winter,” informed a company official.

APDCL has been incurring losses in payments of the fix charges against the PPAs mainly when the demand is low- during flood and storm, and during the pandemic induced lockdown; or due to low production.

Additionally, in FY 2021-22 the amount involved in power theft was Rs. 32.02 crores of which only Rs. 14.59 crores was realised. As per the company the maximum theft is from industries like steel plants.

A senior official of APDCL also opined that the larger sub-divisional areas with limited officials  in districts other than Guwahati, makes it difficult for the company to keep tract of every consumer on a one-to-one basis, thus leading to the low bill collection rate and power thefts as well as management of ghost consumers.

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