TGSPDCL HT Service Connection: The Step-by-Step Process

1. Establish Feasibility and Confirm the Supply Voltage

Before anything is filed, the supply voltage has to be established. Loads that cross the LT ceiling are served at 11 kV, and larger demands at 33 kV, depending on the capacity available at the feeding substation and the distance from the nearest source. Feasibility depends on what the network can actually deliver at your location, not only on what you have asked for. This is the stage to establish whether the incoming line will be overhead or underground, who bears the cost of the dedicated feeder, and whether any right-of-way constraints exist along the route. A site visit with the licensee's field staff at this point saves weeks later.

2. Apply for Load Sanction with Complete Technical Documentation

The application for HT supply is filed with the licensee along with proof of ownership or occupancy, identity documentation, the sanctioned building plan, and the technical package. That technical package is where applications succeed or fail: a load schedule showing connected and contracted load, a single line diagram of the proposed installation from the incoming point to the LT distribution, the substation layout showing transformer and switchgear positions with statutory clearances, and the earthing scheme. Applications submitted with a generic single line diagram, or with a layout that does not match the architectural drawing, come back for resubmission.

3. Obtain Drawing Approval from the Electrical Inspectorate

Parallel to the licensee process, the installation drawings must be approved by the state Electrical Inspectorate before installation work begins. This is a statutory approval and not a formality: energising an HT installation without it is a violation, and the licensee will not charge the connection. Drawings are submitted by the licensed contractor and cover the substation layout, single line diagram, protection scheme, earthing design and clearances. Building the substation first and seeking approval afterwards is the most expensive mistake available on an HT project, because approved drawings frequently require changes to the physical arrangement.

4. Execute the Installation, Then Test and Certify It

With approved drawings in hand, the substation is built: transformer, HT switchgear, metering cubicle, LT panel, cabling, earthing network and civil works. On completion the installation is tested, and the licensed electrical contractor issues a Completion and Test Report in the prescribed form covering insulation resistance, earth resistance, protection settings, transformer test results and continuity. The owner submits this along with an undertaking that the installation is ready for inspection. The quality of test records at this stage directly determines how smoothly the inspection goes.

5. Pre-Energisation Inspection and Charging

The Electrical Inspector then carries out a pre-energisation inspection of the completed installation, verifying that what was built matches what was approved, that clearances and safety provisions are in place, and that test results are acceptable. Applications for inspection are expected well ahead of the anticipated completion date rather than at the last moment. Once the inspection is cleared and the licensee's metering is installed and sealed, the connection is charged. Building the schedule backwards from a target charging date, and allowing genuine time for inspection and any rectification, is what keeps commissioning dates realistic.

Frequently Asked Questions