Abstract of IE Rules

Abstract of Indian Electricity Rules:

1) Cut-out on consumers premises:

The supplier shall provide a suitable cut-out in each conductor of every service-line other than an
earthed or earthed neutral conductor or the earthed external conductor of a concentric cable within a
consumers premises, in an accessible position. Such cut-out shall be contained within an adequately
enclosed fireproof receptacle.
Where more than one consumer is supplied through a common service-line, each such consumer shall
be provided with an independent cut-out at the point of junction to the common service
Every electric supply line other than the earth or earthed neutral conductor of any system or the
earthed external conductor of a concentric cable shall be protected by a suitable cut-out by its owner
No cut-out, link or switch other than a linked switch arranged to operate simultaneously on the earthed
or earthed neutral conductor and live conductors shall be inserted or remain inserted in any earthed or
earthed neutral conductor of a two wire-system or in any earthed or earthed neutral conductor of a
multi-wire system or in any conductor connected thereto with the following exceptions:(a) A link for
testing purposes, or (b) A switch for use in controlling a generator or transformer.
2) Danger Notices:
The owner of every medium, high and extra-high voltage installation shall affix permanently in a
conspicuous position a danger notice in Hindi or English and the local language of the district, with a sign
of skull and Bones on
(a) Every motor, generator, transformer and other electrical plant and equipment together with
apparatus used for controlling or regulating the same;
(b) All supports of high and extra-high voltage overhead lines which can be easily climb-upon without
the aid of ladder or special appliances.
3) Cables :
Flexible cables shall not be used for portable or transportable motors, generators, transformer rectifiers,
electric drills, electric sprayers, welding sets or any other portable or transportable apparatus unless
they are heavily insulated and adequately protected from mechanical injury.
Where the protection is by means of metallic covering, the covering shall be in metallic connection with
the frame of any such apparatus and earth.

The cables shall be three core type and four-core type for portable and transportable apparatus working
on single phase and three phases supply respectively and the wire meant to be used for ground
connection shall be easily Identifiable
Where A.C. and D.C. circuits are installed on the same support they shall be so arranged and protected
that they shall not come into contact with each other when live.
4) Safety:
Two or more gas masks shall be provided conspicuously and installed and maintained at accessible
places in every generating station with capacity of 5 MW and above and enclosed sub-station with
transformation capacity of 5 MVA and above for use in the event of fire or smoke.
Provide that where more than one generator with capacity of 5 MW and above is installed in a power
station, each generator would be provided with at least two separate gas masks in accessible and
conspicuous position.
5) High Voltage Equipments installations
High Voltage equipments shall have the IR value as stipulated in the relevant Indian Standard.
At a pressure of 1000 V applied between each live conductor and earth for a period of one minute the
insulation resistance of HV installations shall be at least 1 Mega ohm Medium and Low Voltage
Installations- At a pressure of 500 V applied between each live conductor and earth for a period of one
minute, the insulation resistance of medium and low voltage installations shall be at least 1 Mega ohm
6) Every switchboard shall comply with the following provisions, namely:
A clear space of not less than 1 meter in width shall be provided in front of the switchboard;
If there are any attachments or bare connections at the back of the switchboard, the space (if any)
behind the switchboard shall be either less than 20 centimeters or more than 75 centimeters in width,
measured from the farthest outstanding part of any attachment or conductor;
If the space behind the switchboard exceeds 75 centimeters in width, there shall be a passage-way from
either end of the switchboard clear to a height of 1.8 meters.
7) Declared voltage of supply to consumer:
In the case of low or medium voltage, by more than 6 per cent, or;
In the case of high voltage, by more than 6 per cent on the higher side or by more than 9 per cent on the
lower side, or;
In the case of extra-high voltage, by more than 10 per cent on the higher side or by more than 12.5 per
cent on the lower side.

8) Declared frequency of supply to consumer

Except with the written consent of the consumer or with the previous sanction of the State Government
a supplier shall not permit the frequency of an alternating current supply to vary from the declared
frequency by more than 3 per cent.
9) Meters, maximum demand indicators and other apparatus on consumers premises
Any meter or maximum demand indicator or other apparatus placed upon a consumers premises in
accordance with section 26 shall be of appropriate capacity and shall be deemed to be correct if its
limits of error are within the limits specified in the relevant Indian Standard Specification and where no
such specification exists, the limits of error do not exceed 3 per cent above or below absolute accuracy
at all loads in excess of one tenth of full load and up to full load Connection with earth Neutral
conductor of a phase, 4 wire system and the middle conductor of a 2 phase, 3-wire system shall be
earthed by not less than two separate and distinct connections with a minimum of two different earth
electrodes of such large number as may be necessary to bring the earth resistance to a
satisfactory value both at the generating station and at the sub-station. The earth electrodes so
provided, may be interconnected to reduce earth resistance. It may also be earthed at one or more
points along the distribution system or service line in addition to any connection with earth which may
be at the consumers premises
In the case of a system comprising electric supply lines having concentric cables, the external conductor
of such cables shall be earthed by two separate and distinct connections with earth.
The connection with earth may include a link by means of which the connection may be temporarily
interrupted for the purpose of testing or for locating a fault.
All metal castings or metallic coverings containing or protecting any electric supply-line or apparatus
shall be connected with earth and shall be so joined and connected across all junction boxes and other
openings as to make good mechanical and electrical connection throughout their whole length.
10) Use of energy at high and extra-high voltage
Voltage Ground clearance
11KV

2.75 Meter

2.6 Meter

33KV

3.7 Meter

2.8 Meter

66KV

4.0 Meter

3.0 Meter

132KV 4.6 Meter

3.5 Meter

220KV 5.5 Meter

4.3 Meter

400KV 8.0 Meter

6.5 Meter

Sectional clearance

11) Transformer:
Where transformer or transformers are used, suitable provision shall be made, either by connecting
with earth a point of the circuit at the lower voltage or otherwise, to guard against danger by reason of
the said circuit becoming Accidentally charged above its normal voltage by leakage from or contact with
the circuit at the higher voltage
A sub-station or a switch station with apparatus having more than 2000 litres of oil shall not be located
in the basement where proper oil draining arrangement cannot be provided.
Where a sub-station or a switch station with apparatus having more than 2000 litres of oil is installed,
whether indoor or out-doors, the following measures shall be taken, namely:
The baffle walls 4[of 4 hour fire rating] shall be provided between the apparatus in the following cases:
(1) Single phase banks in the switch-yards of generating stations and substations;
(2) On the consumer premises;
(3) Where adequate clearance between the units is not available.
Provisions shall be made for suitable oil soakpit and where use of more than 9000 litres of oil in any one
oil tank, receptacle or chamber is involved, provision shall be made for the draining away or removal of
any oil which may leak or escape from the tanks receptacles or chambers containing the same.
The transformer shall be protected by an automatic high velocity water spray system or by carbon
dioxide or BCF (Bromo chlorodi feuromethane) or BTM (Bromo tri fluromethane) fixed installation
system; and
Oil filled transformers installed indoors shall not be on any floor above the ground or below the first
basement.
Isolators and the corresponding earthing switches shall be interlocked so that no earthing switch can be
closed unless and until the corresponding isolator is in open position.
When two or more transformers are operated in parallel, the system shall be so arranged as to trip the
secondary breaker of a transformer in case the primary breaker of that transformer trips.
Where two or more generators operate in parallel and neutral switching is adopted, inter-lock shall be
provided to ensure that generator breaker cannot be closed unless one of the neutrals is connected to
the earthing system.
Gas pressure type protection to given alarm and tripping shall be provided on all transformers of ratings
1000 KVA and above.
Transformers of capacity 10 MVA and above shall be protected against incipient faults by differential
protection; and All generators with rating of 100 KVA and above shall be protected against earth

fault/leakage. All generators of rating 1000KVA and above shall be protected against faults within the
generator winding using restricted earth fault protection or differential protection or by both.
1) Connection with earth:
In case of the delta connected system the neutral point shall be obtained by the insertion of a
grounding transformer and current limiting resistance or impedance wherever considered necessary at
the commencement of such a system.
Where the earthing lead and earth connection are used only in connection with earthing guards erected
under high or extra-high voltage overhead lines where they cross a telecommunication line or a railway
line, and where such lines are equipped with earth leakage relays of a type and setting approved by the
Inspector, the resistance shall not exceed 25 ohms.
2) Clearance above ground of the lowest conductor
No conductor of an overhead line, including service lines, erected across a street shall at any part
thereof be at a height of less than:
For low and medium voltage lines 5.8 meters
For high voltage lines 6.1 metres
No conductor of an overhead line, including service lines, erected along any street shall at any part
thereof be at a height less than:
For low and medium voltage lines 5.5 metres
For high voltage lines 5.8 metres
No conductor of in overhead line including service lines, erected elsewhere than along or across any
street shall be at a height less than:
For low, medium and high voltages lines=4.6 meters.
For low, medium and high voltage=4.0 meters.
For high voltage lines above 11,000 volts=5.2 meters.
For extra-high voltage lines the clearance above ground shall not be less than 5.2 metres plus 0.3 meter
for every 33,000 volts or part thereof by which the voltage of the line exceeds 33,000 volts.