Uttarakhand Power Corporation Ltd. was incorporated in February 2001 and is the State’s only Distribution Company serving a customer base of 12.04 lacs. The Revenue Districts served by the Company are thirteen, out of which eight are in hills and the remaining in the plains. The coverage and power consumption patterns differ in the hills and plains – hills accounting for only about 10% of consumption (mainly lighting & heating loads) and the plains for the remaining 90% again nearly 65% of which is accounted for by Industries.

1. 33/11 KV Substations – 220 Nos. (1813.2 MVA)
2. 33 KV lines – 3535.53 KMs.
3. 11 KV Substations- 32914 (2010.16 MVA)
4. 11 KV lines – 28229.37 KMs.
5. LT lines – 40680.33 KMs.

This network is proving inadequate to cater to the increasing demands (mainly due to industrial growth and village electrification) and the requirements of better network availability, improved voltage and customer service. To enable achievement of these, the secondary and distribution system requires strengthening. Main projects planned (some underway) comprise of –

1. Renovation/reconductoring of lines,           
2. Capacity increase in power transformers and DTs,
3. Replacement of bare service lines with Aerial Bunch Conductors,
4. Replacement of LT system with HVDS and
5. Increasing capacitance loading of lines and substations through capacitors. 

UPCL has planned to implement following specific projects/initiatives to facilitate reduction of AT&C losses and improve customer service & satisfaction.

The Company’s performance has to be analyzed on the basis of two major parameters, namely,

1. Customer Service & Satisfaction and
2. Financial performance in terms of T&D/AT&C loss reduction and Collection efficiency.

Customer Service & Satisfaction is evaluated on the basis of

1. % availability of network
2. Tripping index
3. Quickness/promptness in attending to consumer grievances /complaints with ultimate aim of zero complaints and grievances.

The Company is adopting a two-pronged approach for better service & satisfaction-

1. Through Technical improvements and Improvements in Commercial processes.
2. Through improvement in data-gathering and in attending to service calls.

1. R&M works in 33 KV substations DTs and HT-LT lines
2. Revamp of substations and DT Earthing systems.
3. Load segregation and phase load balancing
4. Provision of right-sized service fuses on poles.
5. Reconductoring of HT/LT lines based on load & voltage Regulation assessment.

Planning /Engineering and estimation of works subdivision-wise is being undertaken.  Once completed (Target: one month), these will be implemented on a turnkey timebound basis.  Funding is being done through institutional debt funding (REC) as well as plan funding. 

Computerised Information Centre at HQ to gather daily interruptions (Exceptional reports) from each of the 120-odd subdivisions /substation centres and analysis of the same by Director-Operations/MD (Installed and process under implementation).

1. Connecting every subdivision/Revenue profit centre through internet connectivity and computer provision
2. Positioning of adequate service call centres nearer to load centres as well as to far flung locations to facilitate better and quicker service call attendance
3. Separation of ‘Wires’ and ‘energy/commercial operations upto Divisional /Subdivisional level for more focussed consumer service for network and commercial operations separately.
4. Understanding of distinct service   requirements of hills/distant locations and plain areas/intensive energy consumption areas and accordingly install ‘franchisee’ maintenance /in-put based mechanisms for hills/distant locations.  Tenders are now floated for certain locations as per APDRP guidelines which will be replicated for all such regions.
5. Provision of full-fledged efficient service centres in plains/intensive energy consumption areas through relocation & rationalization of existing centres and improving their efficiency by providing better tools and tackles, manpower (trained and CRM-oriented)
6. Provision of ATPs and special Collection centres in specific city locations and rural areas is underway.

Financial performance in terms of T&D/AT&C losses and improved collection efficiency is being planned/ implemented as under:

1. MRI-based Central Billing System for more than 25 KW load consumers (numbering 4200 and accounting for nearly 70% of energy and collection) is now on ‘dry/pilot’ run.
2. Process of 100% Metering and better revenue cycle management including in top six divisions of Roorkee, Hardwar, Rudrapur and Kashipur is now under implementation;
3. Uniform 100% meter reading process throughout the State (except Franchisee areas) with in-house meter readers to be singly responsible for meter reading-billing-collection of a defined number of consumers more or less on the lines of Tamil Nadu model. 
4. Install an inhouse Billing System including the billing softwares and database inplace of the present three different billing Systems/agencies.  This is planned to be implemented through an EOI/ bidding procedure for procurement/ installation/ implementation handholding of software & systems implementation.
5. Consumer Indexing and substation Data logging in focus-Divisions is under implementation through tendering.
6. Following are now under implementation-

1. Strengthening of Commercial Group in high-loss, high-revenue Circles of Roorkee, Rudrapur.
2. Development of Corporate MIS and better planning & control systems for Projects, Operations-Technical & Commercial, Finance and HR.
3. Demand Side Management through CFL promotions is being done through tie-ups with manufacturers.

OTHER MEASURES

1. All the 33 KV / 11 KV feeders have been metered under APDRP. 
2. Consumer Indexing and Geographical Information System (GIS) Mapping have been completed in Roorkee and Dehradun Circles.
3. Meter-reading of the 33 KV Feeder meters are being taken manually and losses at 33 KV feeders / voltage are assessed regularly for analysis by the Energy Audit cell.
4. Energy Audit Cell has been functioning at Corporate Office for effective Energy Audit and development of Centralised MIS & On-line Consumer Database to support Energy Audit is in progress at Corporate Office.

1. 95 Agricultural Feeders have been identified and are envisaged to be segregated from Rural Feeders, largely in Roorkee & Rudrapur Circles.

Automatic Meter-reading:

1. Project for automatic meter-reading and data-logging of Distribution Transformers and Feeders, envisaged under APDRP.
2. Tendering process has been initiated for implementing AMR solutions in high value consumer meters as Pilot Project.

Prepaid / Smart Meters:

1. A Pilot Project for installation of pre-paid / smart meters (1000 Nos.) in Dehradun is envisaged. The use of pre-paid meters will improve billing and collection efficiency and will ensure consumer satisfaction by avoiding security deposit, bill payment, etc. and reduction of AT&C Losses.

Control of Energy Theft:

1. In order to curb theft of energy, the following measures are taken up by UPCL:

1. LT Conductors are being replaced by AB (Aerial Bunch) Conductor in theft areas.
2. Vigilance Raids are being conducted and cases are being registered U/s 126 and 135 of Electricity Act., 2003.
3. All new LT extensions are envisaged through HV Distribution System / AB Conductors.

Click here details of PROGRESS OF 33/11 KV SUB-STATIONS/ LINES UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN UTTARAKHAND