The availability of fossil fuels required for power plants is reducing and their
costs increasing rapidly. This gives rise to increase in the cost of generation
of electricity. But electricity regulators have to control the price of
electricity so that consumers are not stressed with high costs. In addition,
environmental considerations are forcing power plants to reduce CO2 emissions.
Under these circumstances, power plants are constantly under pressure to improve
the efficiency of operating plants, and to reduce fuel consumption. In order to
progress in this direction, it is important that power plants regularly audit
their energy use in terms of the operating plant heat rate and