If you’re thinking of traveling in India or here already, then you may have noticed that the power cuts out consistently, and wondered, why do these power cuts happen?
Power cuts happen in India for two reasons: 1) There isn’t enough power for everyone, so some areas are cut. 2) There is enough power but it can’t be distributed to everyone due to high distribution costs, damaged equipment, or waste. 65% of the power is wasted in rural states like Nagaland.
I’ve been staying in India since 2018 and live in a place where the power cuts are consistent but not too much trouble. There are a handful of short cuts a week that last from 5 minutes to 2 hours. Then a planned 8 hour cut once a month. The power never cuts at night, unless there is a big storm and it’s always back on quickly.
However, I’m still able to work online more than 40 hours a week and have access to the internet. As I was researching why power cuts happen, I’ve found that the answer is complex.
In this article, I’ll cover the main reasons why there are power cuts in India and offer some tips to keep the power on in your home.
There Are Two Primary Reasons For Power Cuts in India
There are many reasons for the power cuts in India, and if you ask around, everyone has a theory… many people blame the distribution companies. Other blame corrupt politicians. Some think coal shortages produce the cuts.
But the power cuts come down to two basic problems:
- Generation: There is not enough power generated for India’s massive population.
- Distribution: The system for distributing power is not able to continue and must be shutdown.
But there are many reasons within these two overarching reasons why power cuts happen in a specific place. Let’s go through some of the reasons now.
Four More Specific Reasons Why Power Cuts Happen in India
1) Is India a Power Surplus Country?
In 2017, more than 300 million Indian people weren’t connected to the electricity grid, however in 2018, every village across India’s vast area was finally connected to power.
But India was still a power deficit country, so there just wasn’t enough power generated to go around for everyone. So in those villages, the power may only be on for 12 hours or less.
Now, there is an estimated power surplus of 2.7% in 2020-2021, according to the Central Energy Authority.
The Indian government and distribution companies have made big strides in generating more power.
However, this does NOT mean that each state and region has a power surplus. Many villages still don’t have access to power for more than 12 hours a day. Some states have more power than others, so if you’re in a state with less power… there will probably be more cuts.
Here is how the power surplus and deficits breaks down by region:
| Region | Total Energy Surplus/Deficit | Peak Period Surplus/Deficit |
| North | 4.7% | 6.2% |
| West | 3.3% | 5.8% |
| South | 2.2% | -5.2% |
| East | -2.6% | 7.9% |
| North-East | 2.8% | 4.8% |
| Total | 2.8% | 9.1% |
In the East, there isn’t enough total power for everyone. But the other states have more power than they need in general.
Another time to consider is when energy use is at its highest… or the peak period, like in the evening. In the South, there is a 5.2% deficit during peak periods. Therefore, you’ll see more cuts in the evening in the South.
Within a region, there will be variations as well.
For instance, I am staying in a Southern state. There are fewer power cuts in the city than in the villages nearby. When there isn’t enough power, the villages will be cut but the city will be left on.
If there is a cut everywhere, then the city is usually turned on first.
Another challenge is that India’s power surplus may be gone in a few years. Demand for electricity is always increasing as consumption increases, so if the power generation capacity can not keep up, then India will be a power deficit country again.
2) The DISCOMs Can’t Afford Enough Electricity
The power distribution companies (DISCOMs) are run by the government and have had financial problems in many states and regions. Overall, they had debts of ₹2.5 trillion ($37 billion) in 2016.
In 2019, the DISCOMs in Andhra Pradesh were almost bankrupt with debts of an estimated ₹25,000 crores ($295,862,500). But the government stepped in and helped keep them afloat.
A common reason for a power cut is when energy use increases during the day, say in the evening, there is less electricity nationwide, so the price goes up. If the DISCOMs can’t afford to pay the price, then they have to cut the power.
3) The Equipment and Transformers Are Defective
If you drive around India, you are going to see some super amateur power setups and some power lines that you might wonder how anyone gets power.
But India as a whole has improved the equipment used by their electricity sector a lot.
Improvements can still be made by putting wires underground to important areas such as near hospitals and major city centers, so there is less chance of damage and cuts during storms.
4) Some Power Cuts Are Precautionary
If the weather is particularly bad, then the power company may turn off the power before damage occurs to let the storm pass.
India’s monsoon brings some powerful storms, which can take down power lines and destroy transformers.
If the lightning hits the wires, then it could damage all the equipment that connects to it. There are fuses along the streets, which flip if this happens to prevent further damage but this causes a power cut.
The winds can cause tree branches to fall on the wires or even tear down the power line poles.
If one power line touches another then it can overload the system, destroy the lines, and create a power cut.
Tips for Keeping Your Power On:
Before flying to India, I was worried if I would be able to continue working +8 hours a day at my online job when I knew India had a number of power cuts.
Well, I was able to do it and had very few issues. Here is what I did:
1) Pick The Right Place
Your best bet is to pick a hotel or apartment in the city. I would love to live out in a small village but the power just wouldn’t be reliable enough for me to work online.
The more rural the hotel is, the more likely it will struggle to maintain power at all times.
You can also choose a state with fewer cuts. In October of 2017, Maharashtra (2.5 times), Himachal Pradesh (1.6 times), and Kerala (2.2 times) all had the fewest number of power cuts per month.
However, Sikkim had the lowest duration of power cuts (14 minutes). Maharashtra (2:39 hours), Gujarat (2:20 hours), and Madhya Pradesh (2:02 hours) were the other states with low numbers.
As I’m researching this, I’m seeing that there are a number of places that have fewer power cuts that you may want to consider:
- Mumbai
- Jaipur
- Kolkata
- Ahmedabad
Cities that have more power cuts:
- Bangalore
- Parts of Delhi
This is by no means an exhaustive list and the best way to get information is to arrive in a place, then ask the other tourists in the area.
2) Buy A UPS Inverter Or Choose A Hotel With One
One way to keep the lights on even if there is a power cut is to buy an inverter or battery power.
Many rentals for tourists and nice hotels have them. If you are renting a place, then you can buy one on Amazon (check the price of a good one here).
A reasonably priced inverter can keep your essential items running… your refrigerator, your wifi router, a couple of fans, your laptop, and more.
If you wanted to keep your A/C running, then you would need to spend a LOT more battery power and very few places have this capacity (some nice hotels do).
Or you can even get a small device that is just a UPS for your WIFI router. You can check the price on Amazon here.
3) Buy A Battery-Powered Fan
If you don’t need to have a lot of power during the cuts, then you could invest in a battery-powered fan.
This fan has a 24-hour run time, which is far more than a power cut (the longest are 8 to 10 hours). You can check the price on Amazon here.
I wouldn’t suggest buying a cheaper battery-powered fan. I bought one for the equivalent of $10 and it barely runs, then shuts off after 2 hours if it is a good day.
But a good battery-powered fan can keep you cool as you wait for the power to come back.
4) Go To A Restaurant with a Generator
Nice hotels and restaurants have to keep the power on, so will invest in a big generator that they will fire up.
I like heading to the nice restaurant in my town and I can plug in my computer to get some extra time at work. The WIFI works so I can continue uploading videos. Then I can kick back with the fan on cool off a bit.
Usually, the A/C will not be available during these times, unless it’s a very nice hotel.
5) Pick an Apartment on the Ground Floor
This won’t keep your power on, but it can make a power cut more bearable. If you’re staying in India long-term and want to stay cool in the summer, the ground floor apartments are much cooler.
The top floor apartments are much more exposed to the sun and can be significantly hotter.
6) Buy A Thatch Roof Over The Top Of Your Roof
If you have a top floor apartment or home with an exposed roof, then that roof is going to bake in the hot sun all day long, so at night the heat will radiate into the house.
One solution is to purchase a thatch roof over the top of your roof. This will shade your roof and you can avoid this.
I live in a top floor apartment, so this is the solution I have that came with my place. They do need to be replaced every 5 to 10 years, depending on weather and sometimes monkeys. They can cost $300 to $500 dollars.
7) Keep WIFI Stable By Switching To A Mobile Hotspot
I can get speeds between 10 Mbps and 20 Mbps on my mobile hotspot, so if I was having a call when the power cut… I would switch to my mobile hotspot and continue without much issue.
My girlfriend used the same solution when she was teaching English online over video calls. She was able to work for 5 months using this method.
Final Words:
Power cuts do happen in India, at least a couple of times a month and on average there are 13 each month. The states with the fewest cuts can lose power for ~2 hours a month. The reason power cuts happen is that there is not be enough power for everyone in your area. Or the distribution company can’t afford to provide power to everyone, the equipment may be damaged, or there may be a storm and the power is cut as a precaution.
If you want to avoid having your power cut, live in a big city preferably a nice neighborhood maybe near a hospital. You can buy a UPS inverter or choose a hotel with backup power. Or you could buy a battery-powered fan, live on the lower floor, or just use your mobile hotspot for wifi.
If you are curious about a similar topic, I know many people have asked me, how good is the internet in India? Well, I’ve been able to work online for more than 40 hours a week but I broke down the exact details in that post.
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