Chandigarh to conduct energy audit, consultant bids open till Feb 19

The UT electricity department will soon be carrying out an energy audit for 2022–23 and 2023–24 to assess actual technical and commercial losses.

The move comes after the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) expressed concern over the non-submission of audit reports for the previous years despite repeated directions. The commission had recently directed the department to complete the annual audit for Chandigarh on priority and submit a quarterly report on the action plan. “The audit will assess the pattern of energy consumption in residential and commercial buildings and provide complete assessment of electricity consumption and energy efficiency,” said an official of the department.

The department has initiated the process and sought proposals for the appointment of a consultant to conduct the energy audit. The bids can be submitted up to February 19. Earlier, an energy audit had been conducted by the Bureau of Energy Audit for 2020–21 and 2021–22.

Based on the audit, the department will prepare a proposed evaluation of losses in subsequent years. The investment required to reduce the losses will be included in the investment plan for the augmentation of a transmission and distribution (T&D) system. Effective technical and administrative measures are to be taken to cut commercial losses.

In the tariff order for last year, the commission had noted that the department is yet to submit reports for previous years despite repeated directions. The department had stated that under the Smart Grid Project in Subdivisions 5, 24 and 213, smart meters had been installed and commissioned. A Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Centre for online operation and monitoring of different activities has been established.

Officials at the electricity department further stated that with the privatisation award in process, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had last year shelved the Smart Grid Project to install smart electricity meters in the entire city. The Central Government had set aside ₹241 crore in May 2021 for the installation of smart meters in the city under the smart grid project, but the work on the pilot project could not be completed due to the Covid pandemic.

The deadline was extended several times before the UT administration finally completed the pilot project and installing smart electricity meters in the city in May 2023.