PESCO Load Shedding Schedule
The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) has recently released a detailed load shedding schedule for different regions based on the losses incurred by each feeder. According to PESCO officials, the province is served by over 1,300 feeders, and the extent of load shedding varies significantly depending on the level of losses from each feeder.
PESCO Load Shedding Schedule 2024
PESCO’s recent load shedding schedule gives a clearer understanding of the extent to which electricity cuts are implemented across different areas, but more details have emerged regarding how these cuts are structured and what influences the duration.
- Urban Areas: Urban regions, which generally have better infrastructure and lower transmission losses, experience between 4 to 6 hours of load shedding per day. This relatively lower figure is a result of more efficient energy usage and a lesser degree of power theft in these areas.
- Suburban and Rural Areas: Suburban areas suffer more, with load shedding ranging up to 16 hours. These regions are generally more prone to power theft and unpaid dues, leading to higher losses and consequently, longer load shedding hours.
- Load Shedding Based on Feeder Losses:
- Less than 20% losses: Minimal load shedding of 2 hours, generally affecting urban centers.
- 20-30% losses: Feeders with moderate losses undergo 6 hours of load shedding.
- 30-40% losses: Feeders in this category face 7 hours of power outages.
- 40-60% losses: These feeders, mainly in semi-urban or suburban areas, experience up to 12 hours of load shedding.
- 60-80% losses: High-loss feeders, often in rural areas, deal with 16 hours of load shedding daily.
- More than 80% losses: The most affected feeders, typically found in remote areas, experience up to 20 hours of load shedding.
Factors Influencing Load Shedding:
- Power Theft: One of the biggest contributors to the long hours of load shedding is electricity theft, especially in rural and suburban areas. To counterbalance the losses from theft, PESCO imposes heavier load shedding on feeders that report higher levels of power theft.
- Non-payment of Dues: Non-payment of bills is another factor that forces PESCO to increase load shedding in certain areas. Feeders with high percentages of unpaid bills or overdue payments are subjected to longer outages to manage the financial and supply deficits.
- Grid Capacity: Another factor is the capacity of grid stations and feeders, with some feeders being overburdened due to the expanding population and increasing demand in certain areas.
Strategies to Reduce Load Shedding
PESCO encourages reducing electricity losses by improving bill recovery and implementing anti-theft measures. Additionally, the company is working on infrastructure improvements and upgrading the grid system, which may help in reducing load shedding in the long term.
The load shedding schedule remains dynamic and is regularly adjusted based on the levels of losses reported from each feeder.
