Prepaid meter recharge calculator, Jharkhand
How many units does a recharge buy on a Jharkhand prepaid smart meter? Work it out with today’s tariff and the prepaid rules, or find the recharge you need for your units.
- Rs 500 buys about 55 units
- Rebate: confirmed
- Runs on your phone
Work out your recharge
Example for Jharkhand
A home uses no units yet this month. Each recharge also pays the fixed charge for the month.
| Recharge | Units | Average a unit |
|---|---|---|
| ₹200 | 13 | ₹14.81 |
| ₹500 | 55 | ₹9.01 |
| ₹1,000 | 125 | ₹7.97 |
For 200 units a month, the prepaid recharge is about ₹1,536. The post-paid bill is ₹1,580, so prepaid saves ₹44.
Today’s tariff for an urban home, single phase, 2 kW, with the prepaid rules above. Duty and fuel surcharge as the calculator includes them.
Prepaid rules in Jharkhand
- Prepaid rebate
- Prepaid homes get 3% off the energy charge.
“The Commission has introduced rebate to prepaid meters at 3% of the Energy Charges for the respective Consumer Category.”
JSERC Tariff Order FY 2026-27 for JBVNL (Case (Tariff) 11 of 2025, 25.03.2026), Ch.14 Terms & Conditions of Supply, Clause IX, PDF p.347 (printed p.349)
- Time of day
- The current order has no time-of-day rate for a home like this.
“TOD tariff shall be applicable as an option to HTS and HT Institutional Consumers as follows”
JSERC Tariff Order FY 2026-27 for JBVNL (Case (Tariff) 11 of 2025, 25.03.2026), Clause VII ToD Tariff, PDF p.346 (printed p.348)
- Security deposit
“the Petitioner shall refund the entire Security Deposit within one month from the date of installation of such prepaid meters.”
JSERC Tariff Order FY 2026-27 for JBVNL (Case (Tariff) 11 of 2025, 25.03.2026), Clause IX, PDF p.347 (printed p.349)
- How the meter takes money
“The logic for billing is developed in a way that the variable charge as well as the fixed charge is deducted from the meter on daily basis.”
JSERC Tariff Order FY 2026-27 for JBVNL (Case (Tariff) 11 of 2025, 25.03.2026), para 4.140 (Petitioner submission), PDF p.54 (printed p.56)
How we work it out
- We price the month with today’s tariff for homes, from the calculator’s official rates.
- Then we apply the prepaid rules of the state order: a rebate, prepaid rates, and the time-of-day rates of smart meters.
- Units used earlier in the month decide the slab of the new units.
- Discoms take money each day, but the slabs count the whole month. Your daily balance can differ from our figures for the month.
Questions
How many units do I get for a Rs 500 recharge in Jharkhand?
At today’s tariff, about 55 units, if it is the first recharge of the month and it also pays the fixed charge. Later in the month, the units depend on the slab you are in.
Is prepaid cheaper than post-paid?
Prepaid homes get 3% off the energy charge.
Why do I get fewer units late in the month?
The slabs count the units of the whole month. Units late in the month can fall in a higher slab, so each unit costs more.
Can I get a prepaid meter in Jharkhand?
Smart meters belong to your discom, JBVNL. Ask JBVNL if prepaid meters are available for homes in your area. Its app or website shows the balance and the recharges.