If there’s one thing in Kerala that would make a sizeable dent in household budgets this summer, it would be the electricity bill. The sweltering summer heat in conjunction with the State’s cloyingly humid weather have pushed up electricity consumption to the extent that records were being reset on a daily basis in mid-April.

On April 25, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) pleaded with consumers to avoid charging electric vehicles or using electricity-guzzling equipment after 6 p.m. The spike in consumption is largely attributed to the over-dependence on air-conditioners to beat the heat. For the first time in the history of the State’s power sector, electricity demand during peak hours in the evening , 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., crossed the 6,000 megawatt (MW)-mark this summer. Kerala also saw daily consumption skyrocketing to 117.18 million units (mu) on April 18. Daily consumption in April has so far averaged 107.23 mu. To put it in perspective, it was 95 mu in April 2025. Moreover, as of April 25, the State has reported a 43% shortfall in summer rainfall, according to the India Meteorological Department. All this assumes significance when read with the fact that Kerala ‘imports’ over 70% of its electricity from outside the State. Of the remaining roughly 30% generated within the State, hydropower is the mainstay, but it is generally kept at a minimum in the summer months as a reserve for contingencies.