Issues in International Energy 

Consumption Analysis: 

Electricity Usage in India’s 

Housing Sector

November 2014

Independent Statistics & Analysis

www.eia.gov

U.S. Department of Energy

Washington, DC 20585
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector i

This report was prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the statistical and 

analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. By law, EIA’s data, analyses, and forecasts are 

independent of approval by any other officer or employee of the United States Government. The views 

in this report therefore should not be construed as representing those of the U.S. Department of Energy 

or other federal agencies.
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector ii

Table of Contents

Overview.......................................................................................................................................................1

Sectoral breakdown of electricity demand in India.................................................................................2

Electricity use in Indian households ........................................................................................................4

Electricity demand not met: Load shedding (rolling blackouts)............................................................11

Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................15

References.............................................................................................................................................16

Appendix: Data discussions on Indian household electric demand ......................................................18
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector iii

Tables

Table 1. Comparison of national historically-measured delivered electricity ..............................................3

Table 2. Residential energy consumption in India with end-use level detail, 2005 .....................................4

Table 3. Comparison of electricity shortage estimates ..............................................................................13

Table 1a. Comparison of historically measured national electricity use levels.........................................12

Figures

Figure 1. Electricity consumption per household in 2000 ............................................................................6

Figure 2. Electricity consumption for the residential sector in 2006............................................................7

Figure 3. Appliance ownership comparison across national surveys...........................................................8

Figure 4. Monthly final energy use per capita according to MPCE in 2000..................................................9

Figure 5. Percent of MPCE for fuel and light across survey years ..............................................................10
November 2014

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector 1

Overview

In its review of top engineering achievements of the 20th century in the United States, the National 

Academy of Engineering listed electrification as the top achievement. 1

 Outranking other achievements 

such as the automobile, the Internet, and even space travel, this placement helps underscore the 

profound impact of electrification on everyday life and shows the remarkable effort it takes to provide 

electric service throughout a country. 

With such a large and complex task, it is understandable that different countries are at different stages 

of electrification. In the United States, electric service is nearly universally available. Electric service in 

many developing countries is not available for large portions of citizens and does not always produce 

reliable electricity for those connected to the grid. Modernization seems to indicate that electricity use 

will continue to grow.

India offers a unique set of features for studying electricity use in the context of a developing country. 

First, it has a rapidly developing economy with high yearly growth rates in gross domestic product (GDP). 

Second, it has the second-largest population in the world and is likely to have the largest population in 

the future. Third, its electric system is maturing—with known difficulties (outages, shortages, issues 

with reliability and quality) that are characteristic of a developing country. 

This article focuses on electricity use in the residential sector of India and discusses key trends and 

provides an overview of available usage estimates from various sources. Indian households are an 

interesting environment where many of India’s unique features interact. The recent economic gains 

correlate with rising incomes and possible changes in living standards, which could affect electricity or 

other energy use within households. Additionally, the maturing electric system and large population in 

India both offer opportunities to study a range of interactions between electrification and electricity 

usage in a developing country. 

Relationships between these factors are important for energy planning in India and around the globe. 

Just as electrification was a huge undertaking in the United States and transformed everyday life, these 

effects could be compounded in India due to the country’s size and massive population. As other 

countries mature economically and technologically, energy needs may change in ways similar to what 

has and will happen in India.

 1 National Academy of Engineering. Accessed February 2014. <http://www.greatachievements.org/>.
November 2014

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector 2

Sectoral breakdown of electricity demand in India

This section provides the broadest view of electricity usage in India by looking at estimates of residential 

demand in relation to other energy demand sectors in the country. A number of studies were collected 

to compare electricity use estimates and the general methods toward achieving those estimates. 

The two main approaches to constructing energy usage estimates are top-down and bottom-up. In the 

2002 paper from the International Energy Agency (IEA), Electricity in India: Providing Power for the 

Millions, a more top-down method was used. IEA generated much of its own data for its estimates, 

which were largely done by collecting data from power generation facilities. Using survey results from 

those generators, IEA calculated various energy estimates for India—and for other global regions—

including electricity usage.2

 

Stephane de la Rue du Can et al. used a bottom-up approach in their research paper from the Lawrence 

Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) in 2009, Residential and Transport Energy Use in India: Past Trend and 

Future Outlook. These researchers modeled end-use services (in this case, air conditioning, appliances, 

cooking and water heating, lighting, and other) and accounted for location (with effects from climate 

regions and in rural versus urban differences, for example) and technology (incorporating energy 

efficiency ratings, unit energy consumption measurements, and diffusion rates of household appliances 

and equipment). Using surveys and literature research to develop these models, they were able to build 

a national electricity use estimate. 3

 While more inputs do not necessarily mean better results, the 

bottom-up approach involves more detail than IEA methods and allows for more in-depth analysis of 

results. 4

 2 Specifically, IEA estimates electricity usage by taking total generation and then removing energy used to make electricity and 

transmission and distribution (T&D) losses.

3 The paper cites household surveys from the National Sample Survey Organization, or NSSO (now known as National Sample 

Survey Office, and still the NSSO) as a major source of information, along with the National Council of Applied Economic 

Research (NCAER), “Comprehensive Study to Assess the Genuine Demand and Requirement of SKO.” 4 The strengths and weaknesses of each approach are beyond the scope of this paper. These estimates in Table 1 are presented 

to outline the methods and results.
November 2014

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector 3

Table 1. Comparison of historically-measured delivered electricity in India at the national level

 IEA (2002) WEO2013 LBNL (2009b)

Year of Estimate 1971 1998 1990 2011 2005

Electricity Delivered (in TWh) 51 376 212 774 472

Percent to each sector:

Residential 9 16 – – 33

Commercial 6 8 – – 13

Industrial 67 45 – – 32

Agricultural 10 27 – – 19

Transportation 3 2 – – 2

Other 5 2 – – 0

Sources: International Energy Agency (IEA), Electricity in India: Providing Power for the Millions, © OECD/IEA, 2002; data 

reproduced with permission from page 32 of IEA (2002). International Energy Agency (IEA), World Energy Outlook 2013

(WEO2013), © OECD/IEA, 2013; data reproduced with permission from page 172 of WEO2013. Lawrence Berkeley National 

Laboratory (LBNL), India Energy Outlook: End Use Demand in India to 2020, 2009b; data reproduced with permission from 

Annex 10 and Annex 11 of LBNL (2009b). 5

Note: Commercial sector includes energy used by public service entities.

Table 1 presents results from various studies about total electricity usage and how it breaks down by 

sector. While data methods and time periods between the studies are different, trends can be seen in 

the data. Overall, electricity consumption seems to be growing exponentially. Historically, the industrial 

sector had the highest electricity use, but the other sectors have become much more important since 

the 1970s. The industrial sector was still one of the top two users of electricity in the mid-2000s, but 

continued growth in the residential sector has become equal to industrial demand or has become 

slightly greater. The share going to agricultural use grew between the 1970s and 1990s, but that share 

decreased by the mid-2000s.

While growth in electricity use appears strongest in the residential sector, growth in the commercial 

sector may also warrant further examination. Each study in Table 1 shows the commercial sector using 

a low percentage of electricity compared with many of the other sectors.

This share has grown to 13% in 2005 according to LBNL (2009b), but it still represents a minor change 

since the 1970s, especially when compared to the growth in the residential sector. More growth in 

electricity usage may have been expected because India’s economy is largely driven by the commercial 

sector—about 54% of India’s GDP in 2005-06 (LBNL, 2009b). While there are a number of factors that 

could be responsible for the low share of electricity to the commercial sector, the share will also likely 

change as the economy keeps growing and electric service expands and improves. 6

 5 LBNL (2009a) provides the bottom-up analysis for the residential sector, while LBNL (2009b) looks at broad electricity use in all 

energy demand sectors in India.

6 Another aspect to consider in the commercial sector is captive generation (the smaller, more portable electric generators that 

enterprises can buy to generate their own electricity from an input fuel, which is usually distillate fuel oil in India). While the 

amount of captive generation is difficult to quantify, sources report that it is rare in the residential sector, common in the 

industrial, and somewhat common in the commercial sector (IDFC, 2010; USAID, 2006). It is likely more common in the latter, 

because profit-seeking entities put a premium on reliable electricity sources to run their operations.
November 2014

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector 4

Electricity use in Indian households

From the sectoral breakdown of Indian electricity usage in the previous section, this section 

characterizes electricity use within Indian households. Two studies with bottom-up modeling detail are 

presented to demonstrate these trends—LBNL (2009a) and World Bank (2008). After comparing these 

analyses, this section discusses some available expenditure data to help provide further understanding 

of electricity use. 

In Table 2, LBNL (2009a) provides the residential detail behind the broad sectoral numbers that appear 

in Table 1 under LBNL (2009b). The first feature of this analysis is the distinction between urban and 

rural energy use patterns. The urban-rural distinction appears in many Indian energy studies and in 

National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) household survey data, which is used in many of these studies 

and demonstrates the importance of urbanization rates. Another feature is the identification of how 

Indian households use energy in four end-use services (cooking, water heating, lighting, and 

appliances), 7

 but how households use electricity for only two of these services (lighting and 

appliances). 8

 

Table 2. Residential energy consumption in India with end-use level detail, 2005

Fuel End-use Rural (TWh) Urban (TWh) Total

Electricity Appliances 33.4 58.2 91.6

Lighting 29.7 36 65.6

Kerosene Lighting 68.2 18.3 86.5

Cooking and water heating 24.5 33.4 57.9

LPG Cooking and water heating 26 113.6 139.5

Wood Cooking and water heating 894.6 47.4 942

TWh = Terawatthours

Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Residential and Transport Energy Use in India: Past Trend and Future 

Outlook, 2009a; data reproduced with permission from Annex 8 of LBNL (2009a). 9

Note: Electricity is considered delivered energy; kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and wood are considered primary 

energy.

Table 2 shows that electricity is the least used energy source in Indian households behind petroleum 

liquids (kerosene and LPG) and biomass (wood)—wood use is especially prevalent in rural areas. 

Electricity use accounts for about 157 terawatthours (TWh). Appliances and lighting consume similar 

amounts of electricity in rural areas, but appliances significantly outweigh lighting in urban areas. 

Overall, 58% of electricity is consumed for appliances and 42% for lighting.

 7 While LBNL (2009a) uses these four categories to characterize residential energy use, different studies often use different 

categorizations.

8 LBNL (2009a) notes that electricity is used for cooking and water heating to some degree, but this electricity was categorized 

as electric appliance use for LBNL (2009a).

9 The data are presented in petajoules (PJ) in the original source. In order to convert to terawatthours (TWh), LBNL (2009b) cites 

a conversion factor of 1,654 PJ = 472 TWh.
November 2014

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector 5

When considering all fuels, electricity makes up about 11% of residential consumption, but this 

increases to 36% if wood is taken out.10 Both rural and urban households have significant lighting 

service coming from both electricity and kerosene.11 Lighting is likely to be affected by the 

electrification process taking place in India (possible income and substitution effects as electrification 

continues). 

Table 2 also reveals a demographic trend in electricity issues. LBNL (2009a) reports an urbanization rate 

of 29% in 2005—World Bank (2008) reports a similar rate, 28.9%, in 2006. This means that more than 

twice as many people live in rural areas than in urban areas in India. Notwithstanding costs, income, 

and preferences for efficiency, one would expect more electricity use in rural areas than urban areas 

because the overwhelming majority of the population lives there. Table 2 shows that the opposite is 

happening. 12 

LBNL (2009a) developed a separate model to break down electricity use in the typical Indian 

household. 13 Results from this separate analysis are presented in Figure 1. The first thing to note about 

Figure 1 is that this is a model of the typical Indian house and does not differentiate between rural and 

urban houses. Second, from this analysis the three largest uses for electricity were lighting, fans, and 

refrigeration, with lighting accounting for almost half of the total. Third, Figure 1 offers more detail 

about electricity use than Table 2, but the overall usage level and trends are similar. 14 

 10 Many studies remove wood when drawing comparisons because of the distorting effect of the very high rural wood use. 11 LBNL (2009a) cites the finding from NCAER (2005) that credits continued kerosene use in electrified houses due to subsidized 

kerosene (through the Public Distribution System or PDS), frequent outages of electricity requiring an alternative lighting ability, 

and incomplete electrification of a home (electricity only available in one or a few rooms and not in others). In terms of lighting 

service, NCAER (2005) estimates that electrified households use 27% less kerosene for lighting than non-electrified households. 12 Additional evidence for electrification comes from NSSO (2001) statistics reported by LBNL (2009a): in 2000, 90% of urban 

households used electricity as the main lighting fuel, 10% use kerosene. In rural areas, the split is about 50% to 50%. The share 

of rural homes using electricity for lighting went from 37% to 50% between 1993 and 2000. 13 For full documentation see LBNL (2009a). In brief, the separate model (results shown in Figure 1) used income regression, 

electrification rates, unit energy consumption rates (UECs), and models for diffusion of electricity-using products. 14 Data for Figure 1 were not included in LBNL (2009a), but the approximate 50% share of residential electricity going to lighting 

is similar to the 42% reported in Table 2. Furthermore, using demographic data that was included in LBNL (2009a) for Table 2,

per household electric consumption is calculated out to about 440 kilowatts. The exact number cannot be determined from 

Figure 1, but, visually, total per household electric consumption in Figure 1 is slightly above 400 kilowatts.
November 2014

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector 6

Figure 1. Electricity consumption per household in 2000

Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), 

Residential and Transport Energy Use in India: Past Trend 

and Future Outlook, 2009a; figure reproduced with permission

from page 16 of LBNL (2009a).

Similar to these analyses from LBNL, World Bank (2008) employed a bottom-up, end-use modeling 

approach. The main components used by World Bank (2008) were household surveys, electrification 

rates, and appliance ownership rates. This model produces a historical estimate of 136 TWh of 

electricity used in the Indian residential sector in 2006, 15 which is lower than LBNL (2009a). 16 While it 

is hard to determine which estimate is more accurate, World Bank (2008) has more extensive input into 

its appliance model. 

Figure 2 shows the electricity consumption results from World Bank (2008). The way end-uses were 

categorized allows for a simple comparison with LBNL (2009a). In LBNL (2009a), 58% of residential 

electricity went to appliances and 42% went to lighting. In World Bank (2008), 69% went to appliances 

(combination of heating/cooling, kitchen appliances, and entertainment) and 31% went to lighting.

 15 Calculated from Table 6 in Annex 8 of World Bank (2008). 16 LBNL (2009a) estimated 157 TWh in 2005 (as shown in Table 2).
November 2014

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector 7

Figure 2. Electricity consumption for the residential sector in 2006

Source: The World Bank, Residential Consumption of Electricity in India, Document of 

Data and Methodology, 2008; data reproduced with permission from page 56 of 

World Bank (2008).

The biggest difference between LBNL (2009a) and World Bank (2008) is the level of detail within the 

appliance portion. LBNL (2009a) includes the energy characteristics of one average technology type in 

each of its end-use service categories (lights, water heaters, TVs, fans, washing machines, air coolers, air 

conditioners, and refrigerators). World Bank (2008) offers more technology types within each category. 

The studies also have some similarities. Both studies point to the importance of lighting, fans (part of 

heating/cooling in Figure 2), and refrigeration (part of kitchen appliances in Figure 2). Both studies also 

see appliance ownership to be a major indicator in current and future residential electricity trends. And 

both studies use NSSO survey data in its analysis of appliance ownership. LBNL (2009a) notes:

• TV ownership: went from 13% of rural households in 1993 to 26% in 2002; rose from 49% to 

66% of urban households in the same time period (page 9) 

• Refrigerator ownership: rare in rural households, going from 1% in 1993 to 4% in 2001; rose 12% 

to 28% in urban households during that time (page 9)

• Air conditioner ownership: 18% of urban homes in 2002 (page 12)

• Fans and TVs were the most evenly distributed appliance across household income levels, while 

water heaters, clothes washers, air conditioners, and other appliances were less common and 

considered luxury goods (page 10)

Lighting

31%

Entertainment

14%

Kitchen 

appliances

19%

Heating/cooling

36%
November 2014

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector 8

Figure 3. Appliance ownership comparison across national surveys

Source: The World Bank, Residential Consumption of Electricity in India, Document of Data and Methodology, 2008; figure

reproduced with permission from page 25 of World Bank (2008). 17 

World Bank (2008) puts particular importance on refrigerators and air cooler. Using NSSO household 

surveys from multiple years, these researchers developed Figure 3. The horizontal axis in these figures 

delineates an income level measured in 2004 rupees, and the vertical axis reports the percentage of 

appliance ownership in households with at least that income level. First, the figures show the classic Scurve for purchases of new consumer goods. Second, the figures show that owning a refrigerator is 

more common than owning an air cooler. Third, as surveys get more recent, the S-curves get steeper, 

indicating that appliance ownership increases across income levels over time. 

Other than appliance ownership, income also plays a role in the amount and type of energy purchased. 

Reporting residential usage according to levels of MCPE (monthly per capita expenditure), Figure 4 

shows that households that spend more rupees on a monthly basis use more electricity. This is 

particularly evident in the urban section.

 17 Years indicate the time period for which survey data were collected; for example, the “1993-1994” survey corresponds to the 

50th round of surveys, which was collected between July 1993 and June 1994.
November 2014

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector 9

Figure 4. Monthly final energy use per capita according to MPCE in 2000

Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Residential and Transport Energy Use in India: Past Trend and Future 

Outlook, 2009a; figure reproduced with permission from page 4 of LBNL (2009a). 18 

Among fuels in Figure 4, kerosene shows low price responsiveness (i.e., a low elasticity) with monthly 

per capita expenditure (MPCE), while LPG and electricity show higher elasticities. Many attribute these 

phenomena to the energy ladder, a concept that describes the ascendancy of modern fuels (marked by 

being more convenient and cleaner for the end user) with improving economic development. 19 

Besides income, the geographical location of a house may also determine whether electricity can be 

purchased. Figure 5 presents household survey data about household expenditure for fuel and lighting

(NSSO, 2011). The data in Figure 5 represents the average consumer expenditure for fuel and light as a 

 18 In Figure 4, the bottom two graphs show the same energy data as the top two graphs, except that the bottom two graphs 

have energy from wood/biomass removed. As noted before, wood/biomass is sometimes removed from graphs due to its 

distorting effect when visualizing data. Also, the Public Distribution System (PDS) is a subsidy program in India designed to aid 

low-income citizens and has a kerosene component. So, one category in Figure 4 is kerosene purchased by citizens through the 

PDS and another is kerosene purchased on the open market. 19 The energy ladder is a concept mostly used in the context of international development, but not specifically designed for 

energy analysis.
November 2014

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector 10

percent of MPCE. Rural and urban expenditures follow similar paths; however, urban areas experience a 

rise in this share before rural areas. While the reasons for this earlier rise in urban households are not 

discussed in the survey, this would correlate with an increasing availability of electricity in urban areas 

before rural areas. Both areas see larger percentages of monthly expenditures going to fuel and light in 

the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Figure 5. Percent of MPCE for fuel and light across survey years

Source: National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), Key Indicators of Household Consumer Expenditure 

in India 2009-2010, 2011; data reproduced with permission from page 18 of NSSO (2011).

The implication that electricity use is becoming more common in urban areas than it is in rural areas is 

supported by specific data on electricity usage in the most recent NSSO household survey. NSSO (2011) 

reports that urban households spent an average of 138 rupees on fuel and light in 2009-10, of which 70 

rupees was for electricity (51% of fuel and light); for rural areas, average spending for fuel and light was 

85 rupees, with a little less than 19 rupees going to electricity (about 22% of fuel and light). 20 Urban 

and rural households spend similar percentages of their monthly expenses on fuel and light (Figure 5), 

yet urban households spend more—almost four times as much as rural households—and spend a higher 

percentage on electricity. This result would also correlate with higher incomes and more electrification 

in urban areas of India compared with rural areas.

 20 Statistics from Tables 4U (page 110) and 4R (page 104) in NSSO (2011).

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

1987-88 1993-94 1999-00 2004-05 2009-10

survey years

Rural

Urban

percentage of total MCPE 
November 2014

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector 11

Electricity demand not met: Load shedding (rolling blackouts)

The electrification process in India has clear implications for residential electricity demand—people 

cannot use electricity if the grid has not yet reached where they live. Thus, increased electricity use 

would be expected as electrification progresses. Researchers and analysts recognize this and usually 

include electrification factors when studying electricity consumption.21 But, in addition to connecting 

and installing wires in a home, electricity use is also affected by the ability to deliver electricity reliably 

to areas serviced by the grid. India’s power sector is maturing, but has received much scrutiny in this 

area—for outages, shortages, and unreliable service, to name a few. 22 

Many power companies purposely plan service stoppages, also called load shedding. These controlled 

service stoppages help to keep larger problems from occurring, such as widespread blackouts or wire 

damage from an overloaded system. The effect on residential electricity consumption is 

straightforward—load shedding prevents customers from using electricity. 23 For these reasons, it is 

important to consider the effect of these supply-side issues on electricity demand in India and other 

developing countries, especially if trying to plan for energy needs or develop projections for future 

electricity consumption.

LBNL (2005) provides load shed estimates for the state of Maharashtra in India. Maharashtra extends 

eastward from the Arabian Sea to the central part of India. The state is known for a strong, industrial 

economy. It is the second largest state by land area and contains a large population with many major 

cities (notably, Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur). About 20% of Maharashtra’s generated electricity in 2002-

03 came from the national power companies, the National Thermal Power Corporation and the Nuclear 

Power Corporation (LBNL, 2005). The rest was generated in-state; the Maharashtra State Electricity 

Board (MSEB) generated 60%, and private companies, Tata and BSES (Reliance), provided about 18% 

(LBNL, 2005). 

The sectoral breakdown of Indian electricity use was included earlier in Table 1; Table 1a is a 

modification of that table with categories added for additional service areas (Maharashtra and MSEB) 

and supply-side metrics for comparison purposes. LBNL (2005) reports that MSEB was able to meet its 

peak demand until 1998-99. Since that time, load shedding has occurred regularly, growing to 20.2% of 

delivered electricity in 2002-03. 24

 21 For example, electrification factors were included in LBNL (2009a) and World Bank (2008). 22 Such issues would be expected for a country in the process of electrifying (as the power system matures, these conditions will 

likely improve and electricity will be more available to citizens).

23 IEA calls this “latent demand” in its annual publication, World Energy Outlook. 24 LBNL (2005) considers load shed as being taken away from delivered electricity—other studies take it away at electric 

generation or other stages. LBNL (2005) also notes that some MSEB customers are fully or partially protected from 

experiencing load shedding.
November 2014

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector 12

Table 1a. Comparison of historically measured national electricity use levels

 IEA (2002) WEO2013 LBNL (2009b) LBNL (2005)

Year of Estimate 1971 1998 1990 2011 2005 2002-03 2002-03

Service area Nat’l Nat’l Nat’l Nat’l Nat’l Maharashtra MSEB

Electricity delivered 

(in TWh)

51 376 212 774 472 49.9 38.8

Percent to each 

sector:

Residential 9 16 – – 33 25 19

Commercial 6 8 – – 13 14 9

Industrial 67 45 – – 32 36 40

Agricultural 10 27 – – 19 21 26

Transportation 3 2 – – 2 3 3

Other 5 2 – – 0 1 3

Supply-side metrics:

Generation (TWh) 61 442 – – 618 80.5 48.6

Load shed (% peak) – – – – – – 20.2

Sources: International Energy Agency (IEA), Electricity in India: Providing Power for the Millions, © OECD/IEA, 2002; data 

reproduced with permission from page 32 and page 34 of IEA (2002). International Energy Agency (IEA), World Energy Outlook 

2013 (WEO2013), © OECD/IEA, 2013; data reproduced with permission from page 172 of WEO2013. Lawrence Berkeley 

National Laboratory (LBNL), India Energy Outlook: End Use Demand in India to 2020, 2009b; data reproduced with permission 

from Annex 10 and Annex 11 of LBNL (2009b). Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Economic Benefits of Reducing 

Maharashtra’s Electricity Shortage through End-Use Efficiency Improvement, 2005; data reproduced with permission from page 

3, page 5, and page 12 of LBNL (2005). 25

Other supply-side statistics can be found throughout the literature. Table 3 provides a comparison of 

electricity shortage estimates (shortage defined as the lack of supply below total demand, expressed as

a percentage) between a few such studies with different service areas (national, state of Maharashtra, 

or MSEB). While shortage and amount of load shed may be similar values, there does not necessarily 

need to be an exact, one-to-one relationship between the amount of shortage and load shed. 26

 25 Page 3 presents generation data for Maharashtra and MSEB; page 5 presents consumption data for Maharashtra and MSEB; 

page 12 reports load shed by customer category in MSEB, which was used to calculate load shed for MSEB.

26 Depending on the load shedding plan of the power provider, the load shed may be slightly more or less than the estimated

shortage. Shortage, basically, indicates a need for load shedding to take place and represents an approximate value below 

expected demand.
November 2014

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector 13

Table 3. Comparison of electricity shortage estimates

 LBNL (2005) USAID (2011) USAID (2006) IBEF (2007)

Service area National MSEB MSEB National National Maharashtra

Period 2002-03 2002-03 2003-04 2003 Apr 05 - Jan 06 2005-06

Shortage 

(% of demand):

Average 9.1 – – 16 8 –

Peak hours 12.2 20.2 17.8 24 11.6 23.1

Sources: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Economic Benefits of Reducing Maharashtra’s Electricity Shortage 

through End-Use Efficiency Improvement, 2005; data reproduced with permission from page 1, page 3, page 5, and page 12 of 

LBNL (2005).27 Evaluation of DRUM and WENEXA, an evaluation prepared for USAID, 2011; data reproduced with permission 

from page 3 of USAID (2011). Implementing End-use Efficiency Improvements in India: Drawing from Experience in the US and 

Other Countries, a paper prepared for USAID, 2006; data reproduced with permission from page 9 of USAID (2006). India Brand 

Equity Foundation (IBEF), www.ibef.org, “Maharashtra,” 2007, 

<http://www.ibef.org/download/Maharashtra_24Apr_08.pdf>; data found on slide 12.

For a discussion of sources for Table 3 see Appendix.

The data in Table 3 show a wide range in numbers within a relatively short time period. Overall, most 

estimates for Maharashtra, or the MSEB specifically, are higher than the national estimates. However, 

USAID (2011) cites a high national estimate.

28 Despite the variability, Table 3 shows the persistence of 

high electricity shedding in Maharashtra between 2002 and 2006. Furthermore, the studies show a 

sizable amount of electricity being shed, and also the uncertainty that can arise from accounting and 

reporting these statistics. 

Shortages and other power supply problems have had distinct effects on electricity usage. It has driven 

some customers (notably in the industrial and commercial sectors) to purchase captive generators, 

which they can operate on their own using a secondary fuel to ensure a reliable source of electricity. It 

has also driven power companies to develop load shed plans. As a result of tariff structures and other 

economic and political considerations, these load shed plans tend to affect electricity customers 

differently.

 27 National estimate for 2002-03 reported on page 1. MSEB estimate for 2002-03 reproduced using electricity consumption and 

load shedding estimates (see Table 1a above). MSEB estimate for 2003-04 reproduced from page 5. 28 It is hard to evaluate this statistic since USAID (2011) does not provide documentation for this specific statistic (the authors 

reference Ministry of Power reports, but do not source this specific number).
November 2014

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector 14

Table 4. Gigawatt hours (GWh) of MSEB load shed by consumer category (2002-2003)

Urban Rural Total

Residential 614 963 1,577

Commercial 154 159 313

Industry (low tension) 176 257 433

Industry (high tension) 308 868 1,176

Agriculture & irrigation 90 3,653 3,743

Street lights 39 102 141

Railway traction 0 0 0

Railway non-traction 0 0 0

Public water works 38 150 188

Military 16 6 22

Mula Pravara NA 243 243

1,435 6,401 7,836

Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Economic Benefits of Reducing 

Maharashtra’s Electricity Shortage through End-Use Efficiency Improvement, 2005; data 

reproduced with permission from page 12 of LBNL (2005).

Note: Low and high tension refers to the different voltage of the power line servicing those

customers.

LBNL (2005) provides insights about the implementation of load shedding in Maharashtra, specifically in 

the MSEB service area. 29 Table 4 gives a breakdown of the total load shed by customer type and 

distinguishes between a rural or urban customer. 30 As a basic rule, electric load is shed more often 

from lower paying customers, which are in the residential and agricultural sectors. 31 Together, 

residential and agricultural account for about 68% of load shed—particularly weighted against rural 

agricultural customers. About 20% of load shed comes from the residential sector, with more load shed 

coming from rural households rather than urban ones.32 Overall, estimates from Table 4 show a large 

bias of load shed in rural areas, because about 82% of shed electricity demand came from rural areas, 

compared with 18% in urban areas.

 29 Because of the cyclical and oftentimes predictable electricity usage during the day, these shed periods can be modeled with 

utility-level data. Implementing a load shedding plan is usually based on such estimates. 30 LBNL (2005) notes that actual load shed may differ from these reported numbers, as the load being turned off at the time of 

disconnection is assumed constant until the service area is reconnected; therefore, changes in demand that would have 

occurred during the period are not fully reflected.

31 Industrial and commercial electricity users pay a higher rate on average because of tariff structures. 32 More shedding may be expected in urban households because LBNL (2009a) estimates that urban households use about 50% 

more electricity than rural households (see Table 2).
November 2014

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector 15

Conclusion

While gasoline is the most-used fuel for mobile energy services globally, electricity is becoming the 

preferred fuel choice for stationary energy services, particularly in non-industrial applications such as 

commercial and residential buildings. Despite the availability of electricity in the developed world, 

WEO2013 estimates that in 2011 there were about 1.3 billion people worldwide who did not have 

access to electricity (IEA, 2013). This statistic indicates that electrification and electric service 

improvement present many challenges around the world and will continue to be a main focus around 

the world, particularly for developing countries. 

To have a well-functioning electric power system, it is important to understand electricity demands. 

Among all countries of the world, India is the seventh-largest country by area, second-largest country by 

population, and tenth-largest economy. 33 India is also the fifth-largest user of electricity 34 and the 

fourth-largest user of energy overall.35 Beyond these basic statistics, this article discussed some 

important data sources for residential electricity use in India (for example, the NSSO and Ministry of 

Power) and some key trends on which to focus (for example, appliance ownership rates, household 

income growth, urbanization rates, and the progress of electrification). While these do not constitute a 

final or comprehensive list of data and trends, they are important for understanding electricity issues 

and the related challenges in energy planning and the global energy trade.

 33 World Bank. Accessed February 2014. <http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/GDP-ranking-table> 34 Enerdata. Accessed February 2014. <http://yearbook.enerdata.net/#/electricity-domestic-consumption-data-byregion.html>. 35 EIA, Country Analysis Briefs. Accessed February 2014. <http://www.eia.gov/countries/cab.cfm?fips=IN>
November 2014

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector 16

References

“Electricity Domestic Consumption.” Global Energy Statistical Yearbook 2013. Enerdata. Accessed 12 

February 2013. <http://yearbook.enerdata.net/electricity-domestic-consumption-data-by-region.html>.

“Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century.” National Academy of Engineering. 

Accessed12 February 2013. <http://www.greatachievements.org/>.

“Gross domestic product 20120.” GDP ranking. World Bank. Accessed 12 February 2013. 

<http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/GDP-ranking-table>.

Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC), 2010. India Infrastructure Report 2010. New 

Delhi, India: Oxford University Press, 2010. Chapter 12, Tirthankar Nag. Electronic version. 

“India”. U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Country Analysis Briefs. Accessed 12 February 

2013. <http://www.eia.gov/countries/cab.cfm?fips=IN>.

International Energy Agency (IEA), 2002. Electricity in India: Providing Power for the Millions, IEA/OECD, 

Paris, France. Electronic version.

International Energy Agency (IEA), 2013. World Energy Outlook 2013. IEA/OECD, Paris, France. 

Electronic version. Electronic version.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), 2005. Phadke, Amol, and Jayant Sayathe, and S. 

Padmanabhan. Economic Benefits of Reducing Maharashtra’s Electricity Shortage through End-Use 

Efficiency Improvement, LBNL-57053, November 2005. Electronic version.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), 2009a. De la Rue du Can, Stephane, et al. Residential 

and Transport Energy Use in India: Past Trend and Future Outlook, January 2009a. Electronic version.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), 2009b. De la Rue du Can, Stephane, and Michael 

McNeil, and Jayant Sathaye. India Energy Outlook: End Use Demand in India to 2020, January 2009b. 

Electronic version. 

“Maharashtra.” India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), October 2007. PowerPoint presentation, 

accessed 22 August 2014. <http://www.ibef.org/download/Maharashtra_24Apr_08.pdf>.

National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO), 1997. Use of durable goods by Indian households: 1993-

94, Ministry of Statistics & Program Implementation, Government of India, NSS 50th Round (July 1993 –

June 1994), Report No. 426, September 1997. Electronic version.

National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO), 2001. Energy used by Indian households 1999-2000, 

Ministry of Statistics & Program Implementation, Government of India, NSS 55th Round (July 1999 –

June 2000), Report No. 464(55/1.0/6), August 2001. Electronic version.

National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO), 2005. Housing condition in India: Household Amenities 

and Other Characteristics, Ministry of Statistics & Program Implementation, Government of India, NSS 

58th Round (July 2002 – December 2002), Report No. 489(58/1.2/2), May 2005. Electronic version.
November 2014

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector 17

National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), 2011. Key Indicators of Household Consumer Expenditure in India 

2009-2010, Ministry of Statistics & Program Implementation, Government of India, NSS 66th Round (July 

2009 – June 2010), NSS KI (66/1.0), July 2011. Electronic version.

Padmanabhan, S., et al., 2006. Implementing End-use Efficiency Improvements in India: Drawing from 

Experience in the US and Other Countries, A paper prepared for USAID, April 2006. Electronic version.

Warr, Kevin, et al., 2011. Evaluation of DRUM and WENEXA, An evaluation prepared for USAID by Social 

Impact, Inc., April 2011. Electronic version.

World Bank, 2008. Residential Consumption of Electricity in India, Documentation of Data and 

Methodology, World Bank draft report, July 2008. Electronic version.
November 2014

U.S. Energy Information Administration | Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Electricity Usage in India’s Housing Sector 18

Appendix: Data discussions on Indian household electric demand

The national estimates in LBNL (2005) refer back to national survey data from a Ministry of Power 

report; that survey period covers April 2002 through January 2003. The MSEB estimates come from 

surveys going from one mid-year to the next, similar to Government of India reports. Overall, the study 

attributes the increase in load shedding in Maharashtra during this time to rises in demand while supply 

stayed relatively constant.

USAID (2011) provides a national estimate for the year 2003. The data source for this estimate is not 

specified, however, the authors reference Ministry of Power reports similarly used by LBNL (2005). A 

similar evaluation applies to USAID (2006) where the specific statistic is not cited, but the authors do 

reference related Ministry of Power reports. The authors also make an additional point that supply 

satisfied demand only between midnight and 6:00 a.m. local time. 

IBEF (2007) cites a specific report from the Ministry of Power for its load shed estimates. The report is 

State-wise Power Sector Profile Western region.