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Contract Demand & Load Expansion Guide
Verified 2026-09-05 · By VUKAR Editorial Team
Read twelve months of demand records before ordering a new machine. Spare contract demand is only a billing-and-approval screen. It does not prove that the transformer, cables, or switchboard can carry the added load.
- Match units first: compare kVA with kVA, or kW with kW.
- Use recorded maximum demand, not monthly energy units.
- Add an explicit new-load scenario; keep assumptions visible.
- Ask the utility and a qualified electrical professional before committing to expansion.
Four fields that must stay separate
| Field | Plain meaning | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Approved demand | The load agreed with the utility; use its exact term and unit. | Agreement, utility record, or bill[S1] [S4] |
| Maximum demand | The highest demand recorded using the utility's stated interval. | Monthly demand record[S1] [S4] |
| kWh | Energy used over time, not peak load. | Energy section of the bill[S1] [S4] |
| Added demand | The proposed extra load running in the chosen scenario. | Exact equipment inputs and reviewed plan[S1] [S4] |
Collect one complete evidence pack
- Twelve consecutive bills or demand reports, including quiet and busy months.
- The current approved demand, unit, tariff category, and agreement details.
- Any meter change, shutdown, unusual production month, or missing reading.
- Exact model inputs for the proposed machines, their operating hours, and what may run together.
- The current utility tariff and change process for this consumer number. Do not reuse another site's rate.
- A qualified review of the physical installation, kept separate from the demand worksheet.
A simple example: headroom is not permission
- Illustration only: approved demand is 100kVA; the highest recorded demand is 80kVA.
- Simple subtraction leaves 20kVA before the proposed change.
- If the new simultaneous-load scenario adds 15kVA, the screen becomes 95kVA, leaving 5kVA.
- That result assumes the new demand overlaps the old peak. Different operating patterns need a separate, clearly labelled case.
- It does not allow a purchase, connection, or overload. Starting loads, site limits, and utility conditions still need review.
What can make the result misleading?
- Wrong units: kW and kVA are different fields. Do not silently treat them as equal.
- Energy mistaken for demand: a monthly kWh total cannot replace a maximum-demand reading.
- An unusual year: a long shutdown can make old peaks look smaller than normal use.
- Unclear overlap: adding every machine rating may differ from actual simultaneous use.
- Meter interval differences: BRPL's FAQ describes a 30-minute average for its maximum-demand definition. Ask your own utility; do not copy that interval nationwide.
- A short peak or poor power quality may need a site measurement study beyond the bill.
Read the tariff before estimating savings
- Ask which demand measure is billed, in which unit, and under which category.
- Ask whether the current tariff has minimum billing demand, excess-demand charges, or revision conditions. Obtain the applicable clauses.
- Separate the new equipment price, utility charges, and premises electrical work.
- Do not promise savings from reducing the agreed demand. A lower limit can affect the next expansion.
- This guide quotes no current Gujarat tariff rate: the current document could not be retrieved reliably for this revision.
Ask before buying the new machine
- What are the exact model's electrical input and starting requirements?
- Which existing loads will run with it? Is that scenario documented?
- Does the demand record cover a normal full year?
- Which present tariff clause governs my category and requested change?
- Does the utility need a load or demand-change application?
- Who checks transformer, conductors, protection, and switchboard capacity?
- What equipment or service changes are excluded from the quotation?
Have the installation checked before use
Do not open live equipment, change wiring, or replace protection using this guide. Use a qualified electrical professional and the applicable utility process.[S3]
The final design must cover cables, protection, earthing, equipment ratings, inspection, and safe commissioning. A calculator result is not permission to connect.[S3]
Quick questions
Can I subtract maximum demand from approved demand?
Yes, as an arithmetic screen when both figures use matching units and definitions. It is not a safety or utility approval.[S1] [S3]
Why use twelve months?
This guide uses a full-year planning window to include different operating periods. It is not a claim that every utility requires twelve months.[S1]
Can the planner choose my contract demand?
No. It organises the supplied figures. The current agreement, tariff, operating plan, and professional review decide the request.[S1] [S2] [S3]
What if a month is missing?
Get the missing record or clearly label the screen incomplete. Do not fill the gap with an invented peak.[S1]
References used for this guide
- BSES Rajdhani FAQ: sanctioned load and maximum demand — BSES Rajdhani Power Limited; accessed 2026-09-05
- Load Change and online registration — BSES Yamuna Power Limited; accessed 2026-09-05
- CEA Safety Regulations 2023 — Central Electricity Authority; accessed 2026-09-05
- Load studies with Fluke power loggers — Fluke Corporation; accessed 2026-09-05
