Total technical and commercial (AT&C) losses from power distribution companies fell from 22 percent in the prior year to 17 percent in 2021-2022.
Reducing AT&C losses improves the finances of utilities (discoms), allowing them to better maintain the system and purchase power as required and benefit consumers, a statement from the Department of Energy said. The AT&C loss and ACS-ARR (Average Cost of Supply-Average Realizable Revenue) difference are important indicators of disco performance.
The Department of Energy has taken a number of measures to improve utility performance, the statement said. Preliminary analysis of 2021-22 data from 56 discoms that contribute more than 96 percent of input energy indicates AT&C losses fell significantly to 17 percent in FY2022 from 22 percent in FY2021, it stated.
Loss-making discoms will not be able to obtain funding from PFC (Power Finance Corporation) and REC until they have developed an action plan to reduce losses within a specified time frame and obtained a commitment from their state government to do so, under revised prudential standards adopted by the ministry on September 4, 2021.
The Department has also decided that a loss-making discom will only be eligible for future aid under a Discoms Distribution System Strengthening Scheme if it agrees to close the AT&C losses/ACS-ARR gap within a predetermined time frame to predetermined levels.
Under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), funding under the program will only be made available if the disco agrees to follow a predetermined loss reduction trajectory.
In addition, the ministry has worked with distribution companies to secure the funds required under RDSS to implement the loss mitigation measures.
26389
52799
910
1698
12769
25499
28899
57799
31639
63299
133100
150000
26369
52699
1899
2800
4937
5999
43916
87832
349
999
30300
60600
799
1999
849
0
199
370
38030
76060