MADURAI: The sweltering summer has triggered a spike power load in Madurai city. According to Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) officials, on April 26, the power load peaked at 316.13 MW, which is the highest in the last four months. Last year, the power load peaked at 302.15 MW on April 20.
Officials cite increasing use of air conditioners as reason for the surge in demand. Speaking to TNIE, a top official from TNPDCL (Madurai) said,"The hot weather is having a deep impact on the residents of Madurai, though they are always used to it. Since demand is high in urban areas during summer, we had prepared a load distribution plan. In Madurai metro circle, many feeders have been installed to share the load from existing feeder lines. We expected the demand to cross 300 MW in May, but it has crossed the mark in the first week of April."
She added,"On April 26, the power load peaked at 316.13 MW, which is the highest in the past four months of 2026. Last year, the power load peaked at 302.15 MW on April 20, 2025. At this rate, the peak load could rise further in May. This is primarily due to the usage of air conditioners."
TNEB retired employees union - Deputy Secretary V Pichairajan said, "Most people use air conditioners at home. Air conditioners are the single high load consumable among all domestic appliances. If the usage gets reduced, it impacts the overall load demand. To adjust for the demand, people should switch to LED lights that consume 5-20 watts as they are energy-efficient."