Sindhu Jha
THE rising heat, especially during summer, directly affects electricity demand. According to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) electricity demand is set to rise by nearly 20 gigawatts (GW) from a peak of 250 GW in May 2024 to nearly 270 GW this year.
In 2015, India committed to the Paris Agreement, pledging to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with an ideal target of 1.5°C for a sustainable future. However, India’s mean surface temperature has already risen by 1°C since 1950, reaching 25.02°C in 2023. The rate of warming has accelerated since economic liberalization in 1991, resulting in a 0.5°C increase over just 32 years.
In 2024, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded 77 heatwave events, spanning a cumulative 536 days across the country. This year, parts of Odisha experienced heatwaves as early as February and March, with temperatures soaring to 43.6°C on March 16 in the town of Boudh. February 2025 was the hottest on record, with an average temperature of 22.04°C ,1.34°C above normal.
Rising temperatures have significantly altered how people cope with summer heat. Ceiling fans remain the primary method of cooling for over 90 per cent of urban Indian households and over 80 per cent rural ones, accounting for a quarter of household electricity consumption. However, as fans offer limited relief, people are increasingly turning to air coolers and air conditioners (AC).
According to National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 data, 24 per cent of Indian households own an AC or an air cooler. While 40 per cent of urban households own one, only 15 per cent of rural households do. Despite this, rural households (200 million) outnumber urban households (88 million) more than two to one, making AC ownership more evenly spread than it appears.
