India’s electricity demand climbed to a fresh record high for the third day in a row on Wednesday as soaring temperatures across several parts of the country pushed up the use of cooling appliances like air-conditioners and desert coolers, reported PTI.
The country’s peak power demand touched 265.44 gigawatts (GW) at 3:45 pm on Wednesday, going past Tuesday’s previous high of 260.45 GW, according to data shared by the Ministry of Power.
Power demand has been rising steadily since the beginning of the week as a severe heatwave continues across many regions.
On Monday, peak power demand had reached 257.37 GW, beating the earlier all-time high of 256.11 GW recorded on April 25. The demand climbed further to 260.45 GW on Tuesday, before hitting a new peak of 265.44 GW on Wednesday.
In a post on social media platform X, the Ministry of Power said the latest figure marked the third consecutive day of record peak power demand, and that the demand was successfully met.
The sharp rise in electricity use comes as large parts of northwest and central India continue to face extreme heat.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that the heatwave is likely to continue this week, with temperatures hovering around 45 degrees Celsius in several places.
With the mercury rising, more households and businesses are using air-conditioners, coolers and fans, leading to a jump in electricity consumption.
The power ministry has estimated that India’s peak power demand may reach 270 GW this summer.
Experts believe electricity demand could increase further in the coming weeks if temperatures stay high and the use of cooling devices continues to rise.
Last summer, India recorded a peak power demand of 242.77 GW in June 2025, while in May 2024, demand had touched 250 GW, which was a record at the time.