Prepaid meter recharge calculator, West Bengal
How many units does a recharge buy on a West Bengal 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 90 units
- Rebate: confirmed
- Runs on your phone
Work out your recharge
Example for West Bengal
A home uses no units yet this month. Each recharge also pays the fixed charge for the month.
| Recharge | Units | Average a unit |
|---|---|---|
| ₹200 | 38 | ₹5.19 |
| ₹500 | 90 | ₹5.55 |
| ₹1,000 | 167 | ₹5.97 |
For 200 units a month, the prepaid recharge is about ₹1,213. The post-paid bill is ₹1,249, so prepaid saves ₹36.
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 West Bengal
- Prepaid rebate
- Prepaid homes get 3% off the energy charge.
“For the consumers under prepaid scheme, 3% rebate would be allowed on energy charge of non-TOD or TOD tariff, as the case may be, including applicable MVCA charge.”
- Time of day
- The current order has no time-of-day rate for a home like this.
“Rate A(DM)T Normal - TOD 17.00 hrs to 23.00 hrs. All units 838 30”
- Security deposit
“However, any security deposit is not applicable for consumers under prepaid tariff scheme.”
- How the meter takes money
“In case the monthly billing cycle is introduced due to implementation of smart meter for any consumer category where tariff schedule specifies for quarterly billing cycles, the quantum of monthly slabs shall be computed as 1/3rd”
- Smallest recharge
“The consumer have to pay extra Rs. 100/- or 12 days average bill amount whichever is higher along with final bill amount to continue their already converted pre-paid connection.”
WBERC Order Case OA-468/23-24 (20.02.2024) approving WBSEDCL roll-out plan for pre-paid smart meters, Annexure D (scanned; text layer/OCR, checked against page image), point xiii, PDF p.2 (Annexure D, printed Page-2)
- Low balance and disconnection
“However, there will be no disconnection on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays.”
WBERC Order Case OA-468/23-24 (20.02.2024) approving WBSEDCL roll-out plan for pre-paid smart meters, Annexure D (scanned; text layer/OCR, checked against page image), point xi, PDF p.2 (Annexure D, printed Page-2); approval PDF p.3
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 West Bengal?
At today’s tariff, about 90 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 West Bengal?
Smart meters belong to your discom, WBSEDCL. Ask WBSEDCL if prepaid meters are available for homes in your area. Its app or website shows the balance and the recharges.