Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar on Friday said electricity consumers in Goa whose actual power usage exceeds their sanctioned load must apply for load enhancement, claiming that this would help address issues related to high domestic electricity bills.The Dept has begun imposing penalties on consumers using more power than their approved load, often due to the addition of new electrical appliances without updating their sanctioned capacity. Dhavalikar said around one lakh smart meters have already been installed in Goa out of the state’s approximately 7.5 lakh electricity consumers.
Electricity department pitches smart meters as solution for enhanced service, real time monitoring
Amid public concerns over smart meter installation, the Electricity Department claimed that the new meters will improve billing accuracy, enable faster fault detection and speed up complaint resolution. Officials said smart meters come with bidirectional communication that allows near real-time data transfer to the department’s control centre. The smart meters will be installed at no cost to the consumer, informed officials. The system will automate the entire process from meter reading to bill generation, they said and help detect outages automatically for quicker restoration, they added.
Consumers will be able to monitor their electricity usage through a mobile app and make multiple payments anytime, instead of paying a one-time bill. Officials also said power connection and disconnection will be possible remotely through smart meters. They further said supply will not be disconnected at night or on holidays, and repeated SMS alerts will be issued before any disconnection. Officials also claimed that cybersecurity safeguards and encrypted data protection measures are in place to protect user data.
Citizens and civil society groups in Goa are opposing smart meters over concerns about transparency, mandatory installation, possible increases in electricity bills and fears over disconnections, and data privacy.
Goa’s peak power demand hits record 995 MW
Digital Goa, May 15 – Goa’s peak power demand has surged to a record high of 995 MW, surpassing last year’s highest demand, informed Power Dept Officials. The sharp rise in electricity consumption comes amid soaring temperatures and increased summer power usage across the state. Incidentally, Goa’s peak demand had stood at 718 MW in 2022-23, rising to 776 MW in 2023-24 and further to 810 MW in 2024-25
