Reforming the Power Sector: Controlling Electricity Theft and Improving Revenue
Author: Bhavna Bhatia and Mohinder Gulati Date: 9/1/2004 (PDF, 200KB)
The state government of Andhra Pradesh, India, launched a campaign in January 2000 to control the theft of electricity from government-owned power supply companies and improve their revenue collection. The initiative, now in its fourth year, has reduced losses, boosted revenues, and improved customer service. The improvements seem likely to be sustainable: the utilities have institutionalized new business processes and made visible changes in their organizational culture. This Note reviews the experience.